Polygamia. 
163 
class xxirr. 
POL YGAMIA. 
In this class the stamens and pistils are separate in 
some flowers, and they are united in others, either on 
the same or on two or three distinct plants. This di- 
versity is the foundation of the three orders into which 
the class is divided. As in the two former classes, the 
flowers with stamens are marked by the figure (1), and 
the flowers with pistils by the figure (2), the flowers 
producing both stamens and pistils are marked (3). 
Order I. MoNceciA. 
Musa. Gen. char.—( 3) Cal. none ; cor. two-petaled; 
stamens six, one of which is fertile ; fruit inferior. (3) 
Cal none ; cor. two-petaled ; stamens six, five of which 
are perfect ; pistil one ; no berry. 
Musa Paradisaica, Plantain- tree ; with nodding spa- 
dix or flower-spike, and flowers producing stamens per- 
manent. This remarkable plant is cultivated in the 
West Indies on account of its fruit, and rises to the 
height of 15 or 20 feet, on a round, soft stem, compos- 
ed of the elongated foot-stalks of the leaves ; which 
latter are sometimes eight feet in length and two in 
breadth. The fruit or plantains are about a foot in 
length, and two or three inches in diameter when fully 
