204 
Baker . — A Synopsis of the 
10-12 feet, with a wide-clasping base, often above a foot 
round ; blade oblong, nearly as long as the petiole, 2 ft. broad. 
Panicles axillary, much shorter than the petioles, often more 
than one to a tuft ; peduncle short ; branch-bracts ovate, acute, 
coriaceous, deeply boat-shaped, 3-4 in. round at the base, 
spreading or the lower deflexed. Flowers white, 6-8 in. long. 
Perfect stamens 6 ; anthers 3-4 in. long. Stigma shortly lobed. 
Capsule 3-4 in. long, above an inch in diameter. Seeds in 
two rows, umbilicate, with a blue pulpy arillus. Madagascar. 
4 Commonly along the east coast, from sea-level up to 2000 feet, 
but also found occasionally, small in size, in the forests on 
the east side of Imerina, from 4000 to 5000 feet above 
sea-level. Besides good drinking-water, procurable from the 
base of its petioles, the leaves are used for thatching houses ; 
their midribs, transfixed by long fine twigs, form house-walls 
and doors ; the bark, beaten out flat, forms flooring, and the 
leaves also are used as plates and spoons. It usually grows 
in damp soil and always near water. The names are Ravin-ala 
(forest-leaves), Akondro-a/a (forest banana), and Akondro- 
hazy (tree-like banana), because its height in crowded forests 
is from 90 to 100 feet.’ Dr. G. JV. Parker , F.L.S. It is 
frequently planted in tropical Asia and is included in Wallich’s 
great Indian herbarium. Is in Miss North’s drawings, Nos. 
58 , 535 ? 543 - 
2. It. guianensis, Benth. et Hook. fil. Gen. Plant. Ill, 657 ; Peters, 
in Mart. FI. Bras. Ill, pt. 3, tab. 1, fig 3; Urania guianensis, 
L. C. Rich, in Nova Acta, XV, Suppl. tabs. 6-8 ; U. amazonica, 
Mart. ; Phenakospermum guianense , Endl. ; Miquel, Stirp. 
Surinam. 213, tabs. 62-63. Naked trunk reaching a height 
of 20-30 feet. Petiole much shorter than in the other species ; 
blade oblong, 2 feet broad. Panicle with long peduncle 3-6 
feet long, overtopping the leaves; branch-bracts 6-8, deeply 
boat-shaped, spreading, from 1-1J ft. long. Flowers white; 
sepals 5-6 in. long; petals about an inch shorter. Perfect 
stamens 5, as long as the petals ; anthers about 2 in. long. 
Stigma deeply cleft. Seeds in more than two rows; arillus 
when young yellow. French Guiana, Sago/, 5781 Dutch 
Guiana, Wullschlaegel. Amazon valley near Para, Burchell , 
9691 ! 
