X, C, 6 
Teocloro: Philippine Bananas 
391 
banana can be easily propagated throughout a province. Perhaps it is 
advisable to propagate it for the reason that its fibers appear to me to be 
of greater strength than those of the abaca, to which it is similar, and 
perhaps the former has given rise to the latter already cultivated and with 
an edible fruit. The habitat of the banana I am considering is in the 
mountains of Tala [i e., near the boundary between the Provinces of Rizal 
and Bulacan, Luzon]. 
T., saguing machin, saguing na ligao. 
The agotay of Albay may belong to this species. 
MUSA ERRANS var. BOTOAN var. nov. T., butuhan, botoan. Plate VII, 
figs. 5-10. 
Stoloniferous from the base, producing from 4 to 8 flowering 
stems in a stool. Mature plant reaching a height of from 365 
to 385 cm and a diameter of from 17 to 20 cm at the base. 
The trunk is cylindric, usually smooth and deep green. 
The leaves are elongate-elliptic, deep green throughout, 
usually thick, strong in texture, preferably used by the Filipinos 
for wrapping purposes, rounded at the base and subtruncate at 
the apex, mature blades measuring about 180 cm in length and 
50 cm in width. Petioles deeply scalloped in cross section, from 
60 to 65 cm in length. 
The inflorescence is a huge pendant spike with fertile flowers 
toward the base and sterile staminate flowers toward the apex. 
The basal bract is oblong-lanceolate, light green inside and 
green outside. Bracts usually persistent. The time from 
sprouting to flowering is usually fifteen months or even longer. 
The flowers (Plate VII, figs. 6, 7, and 10) are arranged in dense 
2-rowed fascicles, in 3-ranked spirals. The size of the flowers 
varies ; they are commonly from 6 to 6.5 cm long and from 1 to 
1.5 cm wide. On some forms the flowers are slightly purple, 
while in some the scale is white and the perigonium yellowish 
green. The scale is oblong with a short, acute tip. 
The fruits vary in size, but are fairly uniform in shape, often 
presenting sharp angles. They are usually ovate in outline. 
Some of the fruits are commonly smaller than the rest in the 
bunch. The hands on the rachis are closely packed together at 
variable angles. The skin is yellow and medium in thickness. 
The pulp is white and somewhat insipid or sour in taste when 
ripe. Seeds present. Only used as a medicine, for instance, 
in cases of dysentery. 
Later it will probably be possible to distinguish several forms 
in this species, which occurs both wild and cultivated in the 
Philippines. The Visayan name of the botoan is said to be 
lisohan. 
