268 
herbarium material available at Kew does net vem adict this assumption, 
but it must be admitted that no one has n partieular attention 
to the subject or collected adequate aeiy ta which to base an 
authoritative opinion. 
Martinet enumerates the three bananas cultivated in Peru, in the 
neighbourhood of Lima (Jard. Bot. Lima, 1873, p. 51), as follows :— 
latano "espe platano as and platano de la isla. 
tes that a Peruvian banana called meijæ is known in 
the market of Lima as plain de Taiti, being supposed to be inteodaaie 
from Tahiti 
BRITISH GUIANA. 
Messrs. Harrison and Jenman, in their Report already cited, state :— 
There are two varieties of plantains ee cultivated in British Guiana, 
namely, the White plantain (called also the Cow plantain, Common 
plantain, or Maiden penkin) and the Black plantain. The others are 
the Giant or Horse plantain and the barooma. Bo d o: ine latter are 
very large fruited kinds. he d is not much 
The ite plantain with a green stem and green foal sales is the 
kind chiefly grown. It is prolific and very valuable, as the fruit is of 
the best quality and adapted for all purposes for which plantains are 
he Black plantain is exactly similar to the White plantain in 
character, but the leaf-stalks and sheaths of the leaves (i.e., the stem) are 
purple or "blacki sh. 
For the banana the local name is bacooba, a term of Indiau origin 
(evidently borrowed from its resemblance to the Heliconia, a native 
opical 
the Creoles. Bananas are not largely grown in British Guiana, the 
Deed? produced is, however, fully sufficient to meet local demands. 
no separate cultivation as for plantains, and they appear to hold 
€ a Pii place in the domestic regime of the colony. Plantains 
bana 
added luxury, and they can be dispensed with or not according to the 
circumstances of the moment, 
The most abundant banana in the market at Georgetown, as a rule, 
is the dwarf or Chinese banana, and next to that the large and small 
fig banana. The latter are favourites k pan - well-to-do people. The 
varieties grown in the colony are as follo 
Small Fig or Ladys finger gy rene packed, clear stray 
colour when ripe, 3 to 4 inches ess pulp ae flavour 
Large Fig ov cokerite: fruit curved as a rule, 4 to 5 inches long ; 
good bunches Fas 300 to 400 fruits ; strongly eninge for export 
purposes. 
Martinique or Jamaica: fruit greenish D 8 to 10 inches long, 
of sweet flavour with a slightly astringent a 
Surinam ov sour: fruit slightly curved, = to 8 inches long, clear 
straw colour when ripe, texture of pulp rather Soay when broken, the 
centre harder, of a distinct sub-acid taste 
Giant green or Can : fruit ret daily arranged, 6 to 7 inches 
long, eis a beautiful jolie when 
red: fruit stout, dull red, $ to 7 inches E flavour good, 
Both ni and the last are too stout for ordinary dessert purposes. — 
Arrababa or apple: fruit of soft texture and slightly aub-acid, 7 to 
8 inches long, skin very thick, pale yellow when ripe. “A peculiar 
