40 



herbarium material available at Kew does not contradict this assumption, 

 but it must be admitted that no one has given particular attention 

 to the subject or collected adequate material upon 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 : — 

 platano guineo, platano lugo, and platano de la isla. 



Humboldt states that a Peruvian banana called meija is known in 

 the market of Lima as platano de Taiti, being supposed to be introduced 

 from Tahiti. 



British Guiana. 



Messrs. Harrison and Jenman, in their Report already cited, state : — 

 There are two varieties of plantains chiefly cultivated in British Guiana, 

 namely, the White plantain (called also the Cow plantain, Common 

 plantain, or Maiden plantain), and the Black plantain. The others are 

 the Giant or Horse plantain and the barooma. Both of the latter are 

 very large fruited kinds. The barooma is not much grown. 



The White plantain with a green stem and green leaf-stalks 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 

 used. The 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 blackish. 



For the banana the local name is bacooba, a term of Indian origin 

 (evidently borrowed from its resemblance to the Heliconia, a native 

 plant common in tropical America), but now generally adopted by 

 the Creoles. Bananas are not largely grown in British Guiana, the 

 quantity produced is, however, f ally sufficient to meet local demands. 

 There is no separate cultivation as for plantains, and they appear to hold 

 quite a secondary place in the domestic regime of the colony. Plantains 

 are regarded as an essential article of food, while the bananas are an 

 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 bananas. The latter are favourites with the well-to-do people. The 

 varieties grown in the colony are as follows : — 



Small Fig or Lady's Finger : fruit densely packed, clear straw 

 colour when ripe, 3 to 4 inches long, pulp melting, flavour good. 



Large Fig or Gokerite : fruit curved as a rule, 4 to 5 inches long ; 

 good bunches contain 300 to 400 fruits ; strongly recommended for export 

 purposes. 



Martinique or Jamaica : fruit greenish yellow, 8 to 10 inches long, 

 of sweet flavour with a slightly astringent after-taste. 



Surinam or sour : fruit slightly curved, 6 to 8 inches long, clear 

 straw colour when ripe, texture of pulp rather woolly when broken, the 

 centre harder, of a distinct sub-acid taste. 



Giant green or Canaan : fruit stout, densely arranged, 6 to 7 inches 

 long, colour a beautiful yellow when ripe. 



Giant red: fruit stout, dull red, 5 to 7 inches long, flavour good. 

 Both this and the last are too stout for ordinary dessert purposes. 



Arrababa or apple: fruit of soft texture and slightly sub-acid, 7 to 

 8 inches long, skin very thick, pale yellow when ripe. " A peculiar 



