A History of Agriculture in India v2.c69.s1.3

v2.c69.s1.3

The Plantain. ‘The plantain (Sans. kela; Musa paradisiaca) is another. Its tree is not very tall, indeed is not to be called a tree, since it is something between a grass and a tree. Its leaf is a little like that of the amān-garā but grows about two yards long and nearly one broad (1.8 m × 0.9 m). Out of the middle of its leaves rises, heart-like, a bud which resembles a sheep’s heart. As each petal of this bud expands, there grows at its base a row of 6 or 7 flowers which become the plantains. These flowers become visible with the lengthening of the heart-like shoot and the opening of the petals of the bud. The tree is understood to flower once only. The fruit has two pleasant qualities: one that it peels easily, the other that it has neither stone nor fibre. It is rather longer and thinner than the egg-plant (Solanum melongena). It is not very sweet; the Bengal plantain (i.e. chini-champa) is, however, said to be very sweet. The plantain is a very good-looking tree, its broad, broad, leaves of beautiful green having an excellent appearance.