10 



for their fruit, and not a few that are grown for other purposes, such as 

 yielding an edible rootstock or for the sake of the tender flower bud 

 eaten as a vegetable. The most widely cultivated species next to M. 

 sapientum is M. Cavendishii, the dwarf or Chinese banana, introduced 

 to Europe within the last 50 years. Then, according to Kurz, a large 

 proportion of the best varieties of plantains cultivated in the Malay 

 archipelago are derived from M. acuminata. A very palatable fruit 

 with violet pulp is yielded by M. discolor in New Caledonia. M. Fehi 

 has an erect fruiting spike, and the fruit, when cooked is universally 

 used in the Pacific Islands. Lastly, M. maculata with a yellow fruit 

 spotted with brown, known only as cultivated in Mauritius and Bourbon 

 under the name of Figue mignonne, has an aromatic white pulp. The 

 rhizome of M. oleracea is boiled or roasted like a yam ; and the inner 

 bud of M. Ensete is a source of food supply in Abyssinia. In some form 

 or other, however, every species of Musa is of economic importance and 

 the numerous uses to which they are put in various parts of the 

 world are only equalled possibly by the palms and bamboos. 



The three sub-genera into which Musa is divided by Mr. Baker 

 are as follows : — 



1. Sub-genus PhysooauliS (Swollen-stemmed Musas). — Stem 



bottle-shaped and usually not stoloniferous. Flowers many to 

 a bract. Petal usually tricuspidate. Fruit not edible. In this 

 group are all the species known to be indigenous to Africa, 

 namely : M. ventricosa, M. Buchanani, M. living stoniana, and 

 M. proboscidea. Of Asiatic species Mr. Baker gives two, M. 

 superba and M. nepctlensis. The latter said to be from the 

 <; lower hills of Nepal " has not been found since the days of 

 Wallich and is quite unknown at the present time. 



2. Sub-genus Eumusa (true Musas). — Stem cylindrical, gradually 



tapering from the base, usually stoloniferous. Flowers many to a 

 bract. Petal ovate-acuminate. Bracts green, brown, or dull 

 violet. Fruit usually edible. The species in this group divide 

 naturally, according to their height, into d warf -stemmed and tall- 

 stemmed species. The dwarf are two Chinese species, M, lasiocarpa 

 and M. Gavendishii. The tall are M. sapientum and its allies, about 

 a dozen species in all. They are widely distributed throughout 

 Eastern Asia, India to China, and Japan, Borneo, New Guinea, 

 North Queensland, and the Islands of the Pacific. 

 2. Sub-genus Rhodochlamys (red-bracteated Musas). — Stem 

 cylindrical as in true Musas, usually stoloniferous. Flowers few to 

 a bract. Petal linear. Fruit usually not edible. Bracts bright 

 coloured, often red. Twelve species are included here. One only 

 (M. maculata) yields edible fruit. The others, such as M. 

 coccinea, M. rubra, M. velutina, and M. aurantiaca, owing to 

 their brightly coloured bracts, are very ornamental. All are 

 from India, Assam, Sumatra, Java, and Cochin-China. 



Key to the Sub-genera and Species of Musa. 



Sub-genus PHYSOCAULIS, Baker. Stems short, bottle-shaped. Male 

 flowers many to a bract. Fruit not edible. Usually not stoloniferous. 

 Seeds few, large (about an inch broad) : 

 Male flowers 15-20 in a row. 



Petal tricuspidate - - - 1. M. Ensete. 



Petal ovate, entire - - - 2. M ventricosa. 



Male flowers, about 10 in a row . - 3. M. Buchanani. 



