M. sapientum and M. paradisiaca were described by Linnaeus from 

 cultivated and seedless specimens. Gaertner, however, pointed out that 

 the distinction between seedless and seed-bearing plants was valueless. 

 The identification of the original wild forms of all the numerous 

 varieties of bananas and plantains, now under cultivation, is probably 

 impossible. Within certain well-defined areas, such as those of Ceylon, 

 Eastern India, Burma, Siam, Cochin China, Indian Archipelago, and 

 Polynesia, where the wild forms and the cultivated 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. seminifera, Lour. Fl. Cochinch, 644 ; 

 M. sapieutum, Roxb. Corom. PI. t. 275 ; M. sapientum and Troglody- 

 tarum, Gaertn. Fruct. t. 11 ; M. balbisiana, Golla, Monogr. Musa, 

 56 (Rumph Ainboin., t. 60, fig. 3). The fruit is small, oblong, full 

 of seeds, not eatable, yellowish or greenish. 



The Chittagong plant, figured by Roxburgh, grows in very soft soil, 

 and has tall lanky stems. Kurz distinguishes two species, M. sapientum, 

 with bracts often crimson inside, seeds turbinate-globular to polyhedrous, 

 tubercled, not above ^ inch diameter, and M. sikkimensis, with dull 

 purple bracts and seeds depressed aud irregularly angled, tubercled, 

 4-5 lines diameter. Of the latter, we have careful sketches made on 

 the spot by Sir J. D. Hooker and it has been widely distributed 

 as Musa, No. 5 of Hooker and Thomson's Indian plants. Pierre, 

 in Sagot's monograph, describes in detail three forms from Cochin 

 China. 



Dr. King distinguishes 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 1J inches diameter, permanently angled, seeds 

 J inch diameter, pulp very scanty. Altitude, 1,500-3,500 feet. 

 Seeds of this are in the Kew Museum, from Mr. J. S. Gamble, 

 . F.L.S. 



2. dubia (" Luxon " of the Lepchas). Stem lower, leaves not 



glaucous beneath, bracts deep lurid purple, not glaucous outside, 

 purplish-red inside, lower bracts deciduous ; fruit 3-4 inches 

 long, 1-1-J- inch diameter, with prominent ribs, seeds £-J inch 

 diameter, pulp more copious. Altitude, 1,500-5,500 feet. 



3. Hookeri (" Tiang-moo-foo-goon " of the Lepchas). Stem 10-14 



feet high, tinged with red, leaves bright green on both sides, 

 tinged with purple when young, bracts purple on both sides, 

 glaucous outside, lower deciduous ; fruit 5-6 inches long, 2 inches 

 diameter, prominently angled ; seeds 4-5 lines diameter, pulp 

 scanty. Common, between 4,500 and 5,500 feet. 



4. Thomsoni (" Kergel " of the Lepchas). Stem green, 12-15 feet 



high, leaves glaucous only when young, conspicuously cuspidated 

 at the apex, bracts ovate outside, with vertical streaks of yellow 



