256 
M. sapientum and M. paradisiaca were described by Linnzus from 
cultivated and seedless specimens. Gaertner, however, pointed out that 
the distinction between seedless and seed- bearing e was valueless. 
The identification of the original wi ms of all the numerous 
varieties of bananas and plaintains, now onder i rios is probably 
impossible. Within certain well-defined Wt such as ihose of Ceylon, 
Eastern India, Burma, Siam, Cochin a, Indian Archipelago, and 
Polynesia, where the wild forms and the arin ated varieties are growing 
almost side by side. the work of cultivation is, and has been, carried on 
to a considerable extent, 
Allied, if not identical, with M. sapientum, the following seed-bearing 
forms have been described :— M. econ eh Lour. Fl. Cochinch, 644 ; 
M. come Roxb. Corom. Pl. t. 275 . sapientum and Tr oglody* 
tarum, Gaertn. Fr ers tdi M balbisiana, Colla, Monogr. Musa, 
56 (Ru mph Amboin., t. 60, fig. 3). The fruit is small, oblong, full 
of id not eatable, yellowish or greenish. 
The Chittagong dg figured by Roxburgh, grows in very soft soil, 
and has tall lanky stems. Kurz distinguishes two species, M. sapientum, 
with braets often erimson "ew des turbinate-globular to polyhedrous, 
tubercled, xe above 4 inch diameter, and M. s ikhimensis, with dull 
purpl br s and seeds Gepresed and irregularly angled, tubercled, 
4-5 lines et Of the latter, we have careful sketches made on 
the spot by Sir J. D. Hooker and it has been widely distributed 
as Mund, No. 5 of Hooker and Thomson’s Indian plants. Pierre, 
ee monograph, describes in detail three forms from Cochin 
Dr. King dase incen four wild seminiferous forms in Sikkim as 
follows, viz. 
1. pruinosa (*Reling" of the Lepchas). Stem, 10-25 feet high. 
Leaves very glaucous beneath, bracts deep violet-purple, glaucous 
outside, red inside, persistent, subtending the fruit; fruit about 
5 inches long by 13 inches diameter, permanently angled, seeds 
i inch diameter, pulp very scanty. Altitude, 1,500-3,500 feet. 
Seeds of this are in the Kew Museum, from Mr. J. S. Gamble, 
L.S. 
diameter, pulp more copious. Altitude, 1,500—5,500 fe 
tinged with ae when young, bracts purple on both sides, 
glaucous ovtside, lower deciduous ; fruit 5-6 inches long, 2 inches 
diameter, prominently angled ; seeds 4-5 lines Men pulp 
scanty. Common, between 4,500 and 5,500 feet 
4. Thomsoni (“ Kergel" of the Vai Stem green, 12-15 feet 
high, leaves glaucous only when young, conspicuously cuspidated 
at the apex, bracts ovate outside, with vertical streaks of yellow 
* 
NUS E 
Rae dui ME o 
