. A description and history of vegetable substances, used in the arts, and in domestic economy . an of dissimilarity. They grow in the same re-gions, and are applied to the same uses. The Plantain—Musa paradisiaca. The Plantain is of considerable size: it rises witha herbaceous stalk, about five or six inches in dia-meter at the surface of the ground, but taperingupwards to the height of fifteen or twenty feet. Theleaves are in a cluster at the top ; they are very large,being about six feet long and two feet broad: themiddle rib is strong, but the rest of the leaf is tender,and apt to be torn
. A description and history of vegetable substances, used in the arts, and in domestic economy . an of dissimilarity. They grow in the same re-gions, and are applied to the same uses. The Plantain—Musa paradisiaca. The Plantain is of considerable size: it rises witha herbaceous stalk, about five or six inches in dia-meter at the surface of the ground, but taperingupwards to the height of fifteen or twenty feet. Theleaves are in a cluster at the top ; they are very large,being about six feet long and two feet broad: themiddle rib is strong, but the rest of the leaf is tender,and apt to be torn by the wind. The leaves growwith great rapidity after the stalk has attained itsproper height. The spike of flowers rises from thecentre of the leaves to the height of about four first the flowers are inclosed in a sheath, but, asthey come to maturity, that drops off. The fruit isabout an inch in diameter, eight or nine inches long,and bent a little on one side. As it ripens it turnsyellow ; and when ripe^ it is filled with a pulp of aluscious sweet taste. 364 VEGETABLE The Plantain—{Musa paradisiaca). The Banana—Musa sapientum. The Banana is a shorter and rounder fruit thanthe plantain: the stem is also different,—that of theplantain being: wholly screen, while the banana isspotted with purple. The banana is not so lusciousas the plantain, but it is more agreeable. Having: thus observed the slig:ht differences in theseplants, we shall proceed to their general character ;—in which notice we shall confine ourselves to the useof the word banana. The banana, as we have indicated by the headingof this chapter, is not the property of any particularcountry of the torrid zone, but offers its produceindifferently to the inhabitants of equinoctial Asia andAmerica, of tropical Africa, and of the islands of the THE BANANA. 365
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