the rachis have staminate or male flowers (hermaphrodite-male) as, 

 although the pistil is present and smaller, it is not functional. In a 

 general sense the lowermost flowers are said to be female and the upper 

 male flowers. Hence it is only the lowermost flowers, near the base, 

 that produce fruit, and the normal state is to have only a few fruit- whorls 

 at this part, while the male-hermaphrodite flowers and their bracts 

 drop off successively leaving a warted nude rachis, terminating in a flower 

 cone formed by the innermost bracts of the male flowers. Fertilization 

 in bananas is probably effected by the action of the wind ; the pollen is 

 spherical and smooth. In M. Ensete, Kurz describes the pollen grains 

 as tubercled. In many cases the conditions are favourable to self-fertiliza- 

 tion, especially when the whole spike consists of hermaphrodite flowers. 

 Under glass it would no doubt be an advantage to fertilize the flowers 

 artificially, as thereby a more abundant crop of fruit would be produced, 

 and rare species preserved. This was successfully done at Kew in regard 

 to M. Ensete in 1860, and repeated with other species later. Cross 

 fertilization also might be effected in order to produce new varieties. It 

 is possible that in the natural state this has influenced varieties to a 

 larger extent than is supposed. 



There is a tendency to abnormal parts in the flowers of Musas, but 

 usually they are as follows : — 



The calyx at first tubular, is soon slit down on one side, and 3-5 toothed 

 at the apex. The petal, placed opposite the calyx, is simple or tricus- 

 pidate. The stamens are normally six, but one is usually suppressed : 

 in the others the anthers are two-celled and basifixed. Ovary cylindrical, 

 three-celled ; ovules many in a cell, superposed ; style filiform from a 

 thickened base ; stigma shortly lobed. 



The fruit is a berry, elongate or short, pulpy or dry, angular, 

 oblong, or cylindrical. The sharpness and distinctness of the corners 

 of the fruit depend upon the amount of pressure to which they 

 are subjected in the whorls. Consequently the angles are sharper 

 where the fruit whorls are more crowded and compact. On the other 

 hand, where the fruits are very loosely disposed they are more rounded 

 or terete. 



Seeds, when produced, are sub-globose or angled by pressure, often 

 excavated at the hilum. The testa is very hard, intruded at the 

 base and apex ; albumen mealy, the embryo sub-truncate. 



There is great variety as regards the size, shape, colour, and texture 

 of the fruit. In one section (Physocaulis) the fruit is always coriaceous 

 or leathery, with numerous large sub-globose angled seeds. In the 

 pulpy or edible-fruited species the fruit, when ripe, may be smooth or 

 rough, opaque or glossy, yellow or reddish ; or it may be bright yellow, 

 violet, tinged with blood red, straw-yellow, yellowish red, yellowish 

 green, or white. It may be from 3 to 10 or even 18 inches long, oblong, 

 cylindrical, or indistinctly angular, sometimes with a blunt end or some- 

 times produced, as in the singular " duck plantain " of the Malays, with 

 a beak nearly as long as its body. It may be shortly stalked, sessile or 

 produced at the end of pedicels 2 or 3 inches long. In the section 

 Rhodochlamys only one species (M. maculata) produces edible fruit, the 

 others have small dry fruit, filled with seeds, and not edible. In M. 

 velutina the fruit is velvety and bright red, in M. lasiocarpa, 

 pubescent, with 4-6 seeds filling up the whole cavity. 



In the pulpy or edible-fruited species, known as bananas or 

 plantains, the fruits are arranged in clusters. Some stand straight out ; 

 others are slightly curled outwards and upwards ; while not a few are 



