402 Ttiif in^AWArff awd tiawai^a tubes. 



tioiis at Manilla, but 1 could uever sec it during 

 my visit to that country* 



formation respcctinji' llic wild Pl:nitaiii tree, 

 tound on flie island of l^do Ubi^ off the southem 

 extremity of ( ■Jimhtxliu. 



**We Juid,'" he sap, ''the good fortune to 

 find tliat splendid hetbaoeous plant ia fitmer: 

 unlike, however, to tlsat lttscious and most de- 

 licious friot raised by the hand of man, the fruit 

 of the wild Plaotain contains scarce any pull) 

 whatever. Its leathery sheath iucloses muiu rmis 

 ^^mmti h^Mm^M^^i atNtoe4 ^ a pithy, 



stance resembling biTd-lime. 



" It appeared, hy our systematic works, that 

 the seeds of this most useful plant have been but 

 rarely seen by botanists li^ce^nl^ Wd hwi 

 ^aspire^ed upon libe sitlije^et In noake i>f ^ 6itU 



tivated varieties ai^1^<0):e any seeds discoverable ; 

 though, at times, we may observe inimitc Itlack 

 points in the pulp, disposed in longitudinal rows. 

 Tliese are, probably, the feeble traces of seeds 

 not yet quite £xtmgnislted by cnltSTal^on^ tlte 



black peri^^^Eia fc^ing ttft h&t to disai>pcii]\ 

 The seeds were numerous, covered w illi a thick, 

 black, brittle slu'll, and as hirtie as tliose of the 

 custard apple, but of a more irregular sliajje. 



