[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Dark Ages](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages) › [State papers](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin) › [Āʾīn-i Akbarī](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin.ain-i-akbari) › [The Ain i Akbari (Blochmann, Jarrett)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin.ain-i-akbari~en-blochmann-jarrett) › 59.1.8 # The Institutes of Akbar 59.1.8 The Áín i Akbari (Blochmann, Jarrett) 59.1.8 - **Language:** English ### [59.1.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin.ain-i-akbari~en-blochmann-jarrett.59.1.8) The Plantain tree looks straight like a spear; the leaves come out of the trunk thick and soft, and resemble an unsewn plaited sleeve, but are much larger and wider. Out of the middle rises something looking like a spindle, of a lilac colour; this is the bud. The fruit consists of a cluster of seventy to eighty plantains. In shape they resemble small cucumbers; the peel is easily removed. As plantains are very heavy, you cannot eat many. There are various kinds of plantains. The plant is every year cut down, and a stump only is left of it: if this is not done, it will no longer bear fruit. The vulgar believe that the plantain tree yields camphor, but this is wrong; for the camphor tree, as shall be hereafter explained, is a different tree, although it has the same name. They also say that pearls originate in plantain trees,—another statement upon which the light of truth does not shine. - [Previous: 59.1.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin.ain-i-akbari~en-blochmann-jarrett.59.1.7) - [Next: 59.2.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin.ain-i-akbari~en-blochmann-jarrett.59.2.1) - [Up: 59.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin.ain-i-akbari~en-blochmann-jarrett.59.1) --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin.ain-i-akbari~en-blochmann-jarrett.59.1.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin.ain-i-akbari~en-blochmann-jarrett.59.1.8) · Pramāṇa