Descriptions

Plate 275 from volume 3 of William Roxburgh’s ‘Plants of the coast of Coromandel: selected from drawings and descriptions presented to the hon. court of directors of the East India Company’ published under the direction of botanist Sir Joseph Banks.

Roxburgh writes, ‘The varieties of the Banana cultivated over India are very numerous; but fewer of the Plantain, as I have hitherto obtained knowledge of only three [plantain], whereas, I may safely say, not less than ten times that number of the former [banana] have come under my inspection. Their duration, culture, habit, and natural character, are already well known. I will therefore confine myself to (what I think) the original wild Musa, from which, I conclude, all the cultivated varieties (of both Plantain and Banana) proceed.’

Musa sapientum is now known as Musa × paradisiaca. It is cultivated and eaten both cooked and raw.

Inscription

Musa sapientum
275


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