X, C, 6 
Teocloro: Philippine Bananas 
409 
grows to a height of from nine to twelve feet according to the soil, without 
including the leaves which sometimes are eight or nine feet in length and 
two in width. Its fruit is one of the most valued . kinds; because it is 
assuredly very wholesome; and this as well as the other species are 
“naricticos,” but if they are not thoroughly ripe they are flatulent, especially 
those that have thick skin. The Spaniards call it obispo, corrupting surely 
the name given above. The pulp of its fruit seems to be filamentous, or 
full of a threadlike substance; but its taste is a little sour and is inferior 
in this respect to that of many other species which have every reason to 
be just as wholesome. The flowers have a disagreeable odor, as is true 
of those of the other bananas. The use that is made of its leaves for 
wrapping is very well known. The fibers and the petioles are used for 
tying. The skins of the fruit, when dried and ignited, give ashes highly 
appreciated by women that dye with “bancudo” or “nino.” The stem of 
this species, as well as that of the others, contains a good deal of water. 
When cut by the natives close to the root, which is somewhat globular and 
bigger than the head of a man, the hole due to the excavation soon becomes 
filled with water. After one day the water sours, and they put in it 
tinder that they gather from the cavon (cabo negro, Arenga saccharif era) . 
By this means the tinder becomes inflammable at the strike of the steel 
against the flint. 
The seeds of these bananas almost never attain great size ; but 
once in a while there are found isolated seeds well nourished 
and perfect. In order that they may become perfect I think 
that it would be necessary to exterminate carefully all the new 
small stems that shoot out of the main root, and not only these 
stems but all the buds that are found on the stock ready to shoot 
out. I have heard from the natives that banana plants from 
which leaves are cut with frequency give but small fruit, and then 
some seeds are found. The shape of those seeds that are found 
perfect is circular, very depressed, with a nipple on one surface 
and a naval on the other. All of the isolated seeds of the other 
species which I have found usually have the same shape. In 
order to obtain very large bananas, most of the fruits are cut 
from the raceme. It is thought by some that to accelerate the 
time of bearing it is necessary to plant the sprout from the root 
upside down, but by this means very little is gained. 
In the Visayan Islands a very fine cloth is made from the fibers 
produced by this plant; this cloth in similar to that made from 
abaca. Some use the dry leaves of the banana plant to rub the 
floors of their houses in order to give them luster ; by this means 
the floors become so slippery as to be even dangerous. 
Tagalog: Saba, bisco, obispo. There are several varieties of 
this species. The one mentioned here is the commonest found 
in Batangas and in which the stamens is sterile. In the Visayan 
Islands there is one variety with small fruit; and in Paranaque, 
Rizal Province, another which has a big fruit called sabang Iloco. 
