BANANA TREE. 
283 
to stagnate, and prevent the sowing of grain. As 
this plant is one of those rarities which Mr. Bruce 
considers as totally distinct from any other, and not 
belonging to the same genus as the banana, not- 
withstanding what botanists may say to the con- 
trary, we shall conclude this account with his ob- 
servations on the subject : 
“ Some who have seen my drawing of this plant, 
and at the same time found the banana in many 
parts of the East, have thought the ensete to be a 
species of musa. This, however, I imagine, is with- 
out any sort of reason. It is true, the leaf of the 
banana resembles that of the ensete ; it bears figs, 
and has an excrescence from its trunk, which is ter- 
minated by a conical figure, chiefly differing from 
the ensete in size and quantity of parts : but the 
figs of the banana are in shape of a cucumber; and 
this is the part which is eaten. This fig is sweet, 
though mealy, and of a taste highly agreeable. It 
is supposed to have no seeds, though in fact there 
are four small black seeds in every fig belonging to 
it. But the figs of the ensete are not eatable; they 
are of a tender, soft substance; watery, tasteless, and 
in colour and consistence similar to a rotten apricot: 
they are of a conical form, crooked a little at the 
lower end, about an inch and a half in length, and 
an inch in breadth where thickest. In the inside 
of these is a large stone, half an inch long, of the 
shape of a bean, or cashoo-nut, of a dark brown co- 
lour ; and this contains a small seed, which is sel- 
dom hardened into fruit, but consists only of skin. 
