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Musa (genus)
Encyclopedia
Musa is one of three genera
in the family Musaceae
; it includes banana
s and plantain
s. There are over 50 species
of Musa with a broad variety of uses.
Though they grow as high as tree
s, banana and plantain plants are not wood
y and their apparent "stem
" is just the bases of the huge leaf
stalk
s. Thus they are technically gigantic herbs
.
Musa species are used as food plants by the larva
e of some Lepidoptera
species including Giant Leopard Moth
and other Hypercompe
species including H. albescens (only recorded on Musa), H. eridanus and H. icasia.
The genus Musa was traditionally classified into five sections (Ingentimusa, Australimusa, Callimusa, Musa and Rhodochlamys) but these were reduced to three in 2002. Previously, the 2n = 20 chromosome
species were separated into the sections Australimusa and Callimusa and the 2n = 22 chromosome species were separated into the sections Musa and Rhodochlamys. Recently, studies by Carol Wong and colleagues in Singapore
have revealed that genetic differences between each section in the same chromosome group are smaller than those within each section. This means that the traditional separation of the sections can no longer be substantiated. Wong's studies do, however, maintain the separation between the 20 and 22 chromosome species. At present the 14 chromosome Ingentimusa section remains distinct.
A number of distinct groups of edible bananas have been developed from species of Musa. By far the largest and now the most widely distributed group is derived from Musa acuminata (mainly) and Musa balbisiana
either alone or in various hybrid combinations. The next but much smaller group is derived from members of section Callimusa (previously classified as Australimusa) and is restricted in importance to Polynesia
. Of even more restricted importance are small groups of hybrids in Papua New Guinea
; a section Musa group to which Musa schizocarpa has also contributed, and a group of section Musa × section Callimusa hybrids.
, which was translated to Latin in medieval times and well known in Europe. Mauz is also the Turkish and Persian name for the fruit. The word "banana" came to English from Spanish and Portuguese, which in turn apparently got it from a West African language (possibly Wolof
).
From the time of Linnaeus (18th century) until the 1940s different types of edible banana
s and plantain
s were given Linnaean binomial names, such as Musa cavendishii as if they were species. In fact, edible bananas have an extremely complicated origin involving hybridization, mutation
and finally selection
by humans. Most edible bananas are seedless (parthenocarpic) and hence sterile, so they are propagated vegetatively. The giving of species names to what are actually very complex, largely asexual, hybrids (mostly of two species of wild bananas, Musa acuminata
and Musa balbisiana
) led to endless confusion in banana botany
. In the 1940s and 1950s it became clear that the cultivated bananas and plantains could not usefully be assigned Linnean binomials, but are better given cultivar
names. An alternate genome-based system for the nomenclature of the section Musa bananas was devised.
For a list of edible banana and plantain cultivars utilizing this system, see Banana cultivar groups
.
and Musa balbisiana
. As an example of the application of the genome based nomenclature system, the plant previously known by the "species" name Musa cavendishii became Musa (AAA group) 'Dwarf Cavendish'. The "new" name shows clearly that 'Dwarf Cavendish' is a triploid, with three sets of chromosomes, all derived from Musa acuminata designated by the letter "A". When Musa balbisiana is involved the letter "B" is used to denote its genome. Thus the cultivar 'Rajapuri' is correctly written as Musa (AAB group) 'Rajapuri'. 'Rajapuri' is also a triploid with two sets of chromosomes from Musa acuminata and one from Musa balbisiana. In the edible bananas genome combinations such as AA, BB, ABB, BBB and even AAAB can be found.
's paintings. The flesh can be cooked before eating, is bright orange (with a high level of beta-carotene
). The Fe'i bananas are no longer very important for food, as imported foods have grown in popularity, although some have ritual significance. Investigations are underway to use the Fe'i karat
cultivar
(the name derives from "carrot
" due to the fruits' intense orange-yellow color) in prevention of childhood blindness in Pohnpei
. It is probable that the Fe'i bananas derive mainly from Musa maclayi
although their origins are not as well understood as the section Musa bananas. Cultivars can be formally named as in this example, Musa (Fe'i group) 'Utafun'.
Genera
Genera is a commercial operating system and development environment for Lisp machines developed by Symbolics. It is essentially a fork of an earlier operating system originating on the MIT AI Lab's Lisp machines which Symbolics had used in common with LMI and Texas Instruments...
in the family Musaceae
Musaceae
Musaceae is a botanical name for a family of flowering plants. The family is native to the tropics of Africa and Asia. The plants have a large herbaceous growth habit with leaves with overlapping basal sheaths that form a pseudostem making some members appear to be woody trees.The family has been...
; it includes banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
s and plantain
Plantain
Plantain is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa. The fruit they produce is generally used for cooking, in contrast to the soft, sweet banana...
s. There are over 50 species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of Musa with a broad variety of uses.
Though they grow as high as tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s, banana and plantain plants are not wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
y and their apparent "stem
Plant stem
A stem is one of two main structural axes of a vascular plant. The stem is normally divided into nodes and internodes, the nodes hold buds which grow into one or more leaves, inflorescence , conifer cones, roots, other stems etc. The internodes distance one node from another...
" is just the bases of the huge leaf
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
stalk
Stalk
Stalk may refer to:* Plant stem, one of two main structural axes of a vascular plant* Leaf stalk, also known as Petiole* Flower stalk, also known as Peduncle* Stalking, an act of intrusive behavior or unwanted attention towards a person...
s. Thus they are technically gigantic herbs
Herbaceous plant
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
.
Musa species are used as food plants by the larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e of some Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
species including Giant Leopard Moth
Giant Leopard Moth
The Giant Leopard Moth or Eyed Tiger Moth is a moth of the family Arctiidae. It is distributed throughout the Southern and Eastern United States from New England to Mexico. The obsolete name Ecpantheria scribonia is still occasionally encountered.This species has a wingspan of 3 inches...
and other Hypercompe
Hypercompe
Hypercompe is a genus of moths of the family Arctiidae. There are over 80 species found throughout the Americas. Several species were formerly separated in Ecpantheria which is now regarded as a junior synonym. They are typically large moths with white forewings heavily spotted with black, and...
species including H. albescens (only recorded on Musa), H. eridanus and H. icasia.
Systematics and taxonomy
Chromosome
A chromosome is an organized structure of DNA and protein found in cells. It is a single piece of coiled DNA containing many genes, regulatory elements and other nucleotide sequences. Chromosomes also contain DNA-bound proteins, which serve to package the DNA and control its functions.Chromosomes...
species were separated into the sections Australimusa and Callimusa and the 2n = 22 chromosome species were separated into the sections Musa and Rhodochlamys. Recently, studies by Carol Wong and colleagues in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
have revealed that genetic differences between each section in the same chromosome group are smaller than those within each section. This means that the traditional separation of the sections can no longer be substantiated. Wong's studies do, however, maintain the separation between the 20 and 22 chromosome species. At present the 14 chromosome Ingentimusa section remains distinct.
A number of distinct groups of edible bananas have been developed from species of Musa. By far the largest and now the most widely distributed group is derived from Musa acuminata (mainly) and Musa balbisiana
Musa balbisiana
Musa balbisiana is a species of wild banana native to South Asia. It is one of the ancestors of modern cultivated bananas along with Musa acuminata. It grows lush leaves in clumps and grows with a more upright habit than most cultivated bananas. Flowers grow in inflorescences coloured red to...
either alone or in various hybrid combinations. The next but much smaller group is derived from members of section Callimusa (previously classified as Australimusa) and is restricted in importance to Polynesia
Polynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
. Of even more restricted importance are small groups of hybrids in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
; a section Musa group to which Musa schizocarpa has also contributed, and a group of section Musa × section Callimusa hybrids.
History
The scientific name for the genus, Musa, is a Latinization the Arabic mauz (موز) name for the fruit. Mauz meaning Musa is discussed the 11th century Arabic encyclopedia The Canon of MedicineThe Canon of Medicine
The Canon of Medicine is an encyclopedia of Galenic medicine in five books compiled by Ibn Sīnā and completed in 1025. It presents a clear and organized summary of all the medical knowledge of the time...
, which was translated to Latin in medieval times and well known in Europe. Mauz is also the Turkish and Persian name for the fruit. The word "banana" came to English from Spanish and Portuguese, which in turn apparently got it from a West African language (possibly Wolof
Wolof language
Wolof is a language spoken in Senegal, The Gambia, and Mauritania, and is the native language of the Wolof people. Like the neighbouring languages Serer and Fula, it belongs to the Atlantic branch of the Niger–Congo language family...
).
From the time of Linnaeus (18th century) until the 1940s different types of edible banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
s and plantain
Plantain
Plantain is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa. The fruit they produce is generally used for cooking, in contrast to the soft, sweet banana...
s were given Linnaean binomial names, such as Musa cavendishii as if they were species. In fact, edible bananas have an extremely complicated origin involving hybridization, mutation
Mutation
In molecular biology and genetics, mutations are changes in a genomic sequence: the DNA sequence of a cell's genome or the DNA or RNA sequence of a virus. They can be defined as sudden and spontaneous changes in the cell. Mutations are caused by radiation, viruses, transposons and mutagenic...
and finally selection
Selection
In the context of evolution, certain traits or alleles of genes segregating within a population may be subject to selection. Under selection, individuals with advantageous or "adaptive" traits tend to be more successful than their peers reproductively—meaning they contribute more offspring to the...
by humans. Most edible bananas are seedless (parthenocarpic) and hence sterile, so they are propagated vegetatively. The giving of species names to what are actually very complex, largely asexual, hybrids (mostly of two species of wild bananas, Musa acuminata
Musa acuminata
Musa acuminata is a species of wild banana native to Southeast Asia. It is the progenitor of modern edible bananas, along with Musa balbisiana. First cultivated by humans around 8000 years ago, it is one of the earliest examples of domesticated plants.-Taxonomy and nomenclature:Musa acuminata...
and Musa balbisiana
Musa balbisiana
Musa balbisiana is a species of wild banana native to South Asia. It is one of the ancestors of modern cultivated bananas along with Musa acuminata. It grows lush leaves in clumps and grows with a more upright habit than most cultivated bananas. Flowers grow in inflorescences coloured red to...
) led to endless confusion in banana botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
. In the 1940s and 1950s it became clear that the cultivated bananas and plantains could not usefully be assigned Linnean binomials, but are better given cultivar
Cultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
names. An alternate genome-based system for the nomenclature of the section Musa bananas was devised.
For a list of edible banana and plantain cultivars utilizing this system, see Banana cultivar groups
Banana cultivar groups
Almost all modern edible banana and plantain cultivars are hybrids and polyploids of the wild, seeded bananas Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana. They are almost always seedless and hence sterile, so they are propagated vegetatively...
.
Banana and plantain cultivar naming
As mentioned above, the main group of edible bananas or plantains are derived from Musa acuminataMusa acuminata
Musa acuminata is a species of wild banana native to Southeast Asia. It is the progenitor of modern edible bananas, along with Musa balbisiana. First cultivated by humans around 8000 years ago, it is one of the earliest examples of domesticated plants.-Taxonomy and nomenclature:Musa acuminata...
and Musa balbisiana
Musa balbisiana
Musa balbisiana is a species of wild banana native to South Asia. It is one of the ancestors of modern cultivated bananas along with Musa acuminata. It grows lush leaves in clumps and grows with a more upright habit than most cultivated bananas. Flowers grow in inflorescences coloured red to...
. As an example of the application of the genome based nomenclature system, the plant previously known by the "species" name Musa cavendishii became Musa (AAA group) 'Dwarf Cavendish'. The "new" name shows clearly that 'Dwarf Cavendish' is a triploid, with three sets of chromosomes, all derived from Musa acuminata designated by the letter "A". When Musa balbisiana is involved the letter "B" is used to denote its genome. Thus the cultivar 'Rajapuri' is correctly written as Musa (AAB group) 'Rajapuri'. 'Rajapuri' is also a triploid with two sets of chromosomes from Musa acuminata and one from Musa balbisiana. In the edible bananas genome combinations such as AA, BB, ABB, BBB and even AAAB can be found.
Fe'i-type cultivars
No such nomenclature system has been developed for the next group of edible bananas derived from section Callimusa. However, this group is known generally as the "Fe'i" or "Fehi" bananas and there are numerous cultivars of this group in the South Pacific region. They are very distinctive plants with upright fruit bunches and feature in three of Paul GauguinPaul Gauguin
Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin was a leading French Post-Impressionist artist. He was an important figure in the Symbolist movement as a painter, sculptor, print-maker, ceramist, and writer...
's paintings. The flesh can be cooked before eating, is bright orange (with a high level of beta-carotene
Beta-carotene
β-Carotene is a strongly-coloured red-orange pigment abundant in plants and fruits. It is an organic compound and chemically is classified as a hydrocarbon and specifically as a terpenoid , reflecting its derivation from isoprene units...
). The Fe'i bananas are no longer very important for food, as imported foods have grown in popularity, although some have ritual significance. Investigations are underway to use the Fe'i karat
Karat (fruit)
The karat is a local variety of the Fe'i banana found in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia. Its name originates from its bright orange flesh, unusually rich in β-carotene....
cultivar
Cultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
(the name derives from "carrot
Carrot
The carrot is a root vegetable, usually orange in colour, though purple, red, white, and yellow varieties exist. It has a crisp texture when fresh...
" due to the fruits' intense orange-yellow color) in prevention of childhood blindness in Pohnpei
Pohnpei
Not to be confused with Pompeii, the ancient city destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79.Pohnpei "upon a stone altar " is the name of one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia , situated among the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group...
. It is probable that the Fe'i bananas derive mainly from Musa maclayi
Musa maclayi
Musa maclayi is a species of seeded banana native to Northern Queensland, Australia. Seeds have not been offered publicly yet....
although their origins are not as well understood as the section Musa bananas. Cultivars can be formally named as in this example, Musa (Fe'i group) 'Utafun'.
Section Callimusa (incorporating Australimusa)
- M. alinsanayaMusa alinsanayaMusa alinsanaya is a Malesian tropical species of plant in the banana family native to the Philippines.-Uses:Traditionally the plant fibers of the petiole and pseudostem are used in the making of various ropes and strings....
R.V.Valmayor - M. azizii Häkkinen
- M. barioensis Häkkinen
- M. bauensis Häkkinen & Meekiong
- M. beccarii N.W.Simmonds
- M. boman Argent
- M. borneensis Becc.
- M. bukensis Argent
- M. campestris Becc.
- M. coccineaMusa coccineaMusa coccinea, commonly known as scarlet banana or red-flowering banana, is a bat-pollinated plant in the banana and plantain family native to tropical China and Vietnam. Elsewhere M. coccinea is cultivated for its ornamental value. M...
Andrews [= M. uranoscopos Lour.] – Scarlet banana - M. exotica R.V.Valmayor
- M. fitzalanii F.Muell. (extinct)
- M. gracilis Holttum
- M. hirtaMusa hirtaMusa hirta is a tropical Asian species of plant in the banana family native to Sarawak on the island of Borneo, in Malaysia. It is one of fourteen species of Musa endemic to the island of Borneo....
Becc. - M. insularimontanaMusa insularimontanaMusa insularimontana is a species of plant in the banana family native to Taiwan , where it is known by the name lan yu ba jiao....
Hayata - M. jackeyi W.Hill
- M. johnsii Argent
- M. lawitiensis Nasution & Supard.
- M. lokok Geri & Ng
- M. lolodensis Cheesman
- M. maclayiMusa maclayiMusa maclayi is a species of seeded banana native to Northern Queensland, Australia. Seeds have not been offered publicly yet....
F.Muell. ex Mikl.-Maclay - M. monticola Argent
- M. muluensisMusa muluensisMusa muluensis is a plant in the banana and plantain family. It is native to tropical Asia; found only in Sarawak in Malaysia.-Collection history:...
M.Hotta - M. paracoccineaMusa paracoccineaMusa paracoccinia is a tropical and subtropical Asian species of plant in the banana family native to both China and Indochina ....
A.Z.Liu & D.Z.Li - M. peekelii Lauterb.
- M. salaccensisMusa salaccensisMusa salaccensis, commonly called Javanese wild banana, is a Malesian tropical species of plant in the banana family native to the islands of Sumatra and Java, in Indonesia.-Uses:...
Zoll. ex Kurz - M. textilis Née – Abacá
- M. troglodytarum L.
- M. tuberculataMusa tuberculataMusa tuberculata is a tropical Asian species of plant in the banana family native to the Malesian region . It is one of fourteen species of Musa endemic to the island of Borneo. The specific epithet "tuberculata" is from the Latin meaning "covered with minute tubercles"....
M.Hotta - M. violascens Ridl.
- M. viridis R.V.Valmayor et al.
- M. voonii Häkkinen
Section Musa (incorporating Rhodochlamys)
- M. acuminataMusa acuminataMusa acuminata is a species of wild banana native to Southeast Asia. It is the progenitor of modern edible bananas, along with Musa balbisiana. First cultivated by humans around 8000 years ago, it is one of the earliest examples of domesticated plants.-Taxonomy and nomenclature:Musa acuminata...
Colla – Wild seeded banana. One of the two main ancestors of modern edible banana cultivars.
M acuminata ssp. zebrina [= M. sumatrana] – Blood banana - M. aurantiaca Baker
- M. balbisianaMusa balbisianaMusa balbisiana is a species of wild banana native to South Asia. It is one of the ancestors of modern cultivated bananas along with Musa acuminata. It grows lush leaves in clumps and grows with a more upright habit than most cultivated bananas. Flowers grow in inflorescences coloured red to...
Colla – Wild seeded banana. One of the two main ancestors of modern edible banana cultivars. - M. banksii F.Muell.
- M. basjooMusa basjooMusa basjoo, known variously as Japanese Banana, Japanese Fiber Banana or Hardy Banana, is a species belonging to the genus Musa. It was previously thought to have originated from the Ryukyu islands of Japan, from where it was first described in cultivation...
Siebold & Zucc. ex Iinuma – Japanese Fiber banana, Hardy banana - M. cheesmanii N.W.Simmonds
- M. chunii Häkkinen
- M. griersonii Nolte
- M. itineransMusa itineransMusa itinerans, the Yunnan banana, is the landmark 24,200th plant species saved at Kew Gardens' Millennium Seed Bank Project. With this addition the seed bank has collected 10% of the world’s wild plant species. The endangered M. itinerans is native to China and is an important food for wild Asian...
Cheesman - M. lateritaMusa lateritaMusa laterita is an Asian tropical ornamental species of plant in the banana family native to the Indian Subcontinent and Indo-China ....
Cheesman - M. mannii Baker
- M. nagensiumMusa nagensiumMusa nagensium is a species of the genus Musa, found in North-east India....
Prain
- M. ochraceaMusa ochraceaMusa ochracea is a plant in the banana and plantain family native to tropical Asia . The specific epithet, "ochracea", is a Latin word meaning "ochracaceous" ....
K.Sheph. - M. ornataMusa ornataMusa ornata is one of more than 50 species of banana in the genus Musa. Most of these species are large perennial tropical herbs, mainly of lowland areas with high temperature and humidity. The Musa ornata originated in southeast Asia, and is cultivated for its commercial and ornamental value...
Roxb. - M. rosea Baker
- M. rubinea Häkkinen & C.H.Teo
- M. rubra Wall. ex Kurz
- M. sanguinea Hook.f.
- M. schizocarpa N.W.Simmonds
- M. siamensisMusa siamensisMusa siamensis is an Asian tropical species of plant in the banana family native to Indo-China ....
Häkkinen & Rich.H.Wallace - M. sikkimensisMusa sikkimensisMusa sikkimensis, also called Darjeeling Banana is a species of the genus Musa. It is one of the highest altitude banana species and is found in Bhutan and India.-Description:...
Kurz - M. thomsonii King ex A.M.Cowan & Cowan
- M. velutinaMusa velutinaMusa velutina, the Pink Banana, is a species of seeded banana. Fruits are 3 inches long, pink, and fuzzy. They are born on erect flower stalks with a pink inflorescence. Musa velutina flowers at a young age, doing so within a year. The fruits peal back when ripe. It is often grown as an ornamental,...
H.Wendl. & Drude – Pink banana - M. yunnanensisMusa yunnanensisMusa yunnanensis, commonly known as either Yunnan banana or wild forest banana, is a recently described plant in the banana and plantain family native to Yunnan in southern China...
Häkkinen & H.Wang – Yunnan banana, wild forest banana - M. zaifuiMusa zaifuiMusa zaifui is a species of plant in the banana family native to temperate China ....
Häkkinen & H.Wang
Section undetermined
- M. celebica Warb. ex K.Schum.
- M. lanceolata Warb. ex K.Schum.
- M. lutea R.V.Valmayor et al.
- M. sakaiana Meekiong et al.
- M. tonkinensis R.V.Valmayor et al.
Formerly placed here
- Ensete davyae (Stapf) Cheesman (as M. davyae Stapf)
- Ensete gilletii (De Wild.) Cheesman (as M. gilletii De Wild. or M. martretiana A.Chev.)
- Ensete glaucumEnsete glaucumEnsete glaucum, the Snow Banana, is a larger version of the Abyssinian Banana but not so well known, sometimes called Musa nepalensis or Ensete giganteum, or Ensete wilsonii. It is native to China, Nepal, India, Burma, and Thailand up to 2600-8800ft...
(Roxb.) Cheesman (as M. glauca Roxb.) - Ensete lasiocarpum (Franch.) Cheesman (as M. lasiocarpa Franch.)
- Ensete livingstoniana (J. Kirk) Cheesman (as M. livingstoniana J.Kirk)
- Ensete perrieri (Stapf) Cheesman (as M. perrieri Claverie)
- Ensete superbumEnsete superbumEnsete superbum is a species of banana from India.-Distribution:The plant is well-known from the Western Ghats, Anaimalai Hills, some other South Indian hills in Dindigul and other parts of the peninsular India. It has also been recorded from Jhadol and Ogna forest ranges in Rajastan, North India...
(Roxb.) Cheesman (as M. superba Roxb.) - Ensete ventricosumEnsete ventricosumEnsete ventricosum, usually called the False Banana, Ethiopian Banana, or Abyssinian Banana is a plant in the genus Ensete which is related to Bananas. Ensete ventricosum's name was first published 1948 in Kew Bull. 1947, p. 101. Its synonyms include Musa arnoldiana De Wild., Musa ventricosa Welw....
(Welw.) Cheesman (as M. arnoldiana De Wild., M. ensete J.F.Gmel. or M. ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman) - Heliconia bihaiHeliconia bihaiHeliconia bihai of the Heliconiaceae family is an erect herb typically growing taller than 1.5 m...
(L.) L. (as M. bihai L.)
See also
- BananaBananaBanana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
- Banana Cultivar GroupsBanana cultivar groupsAlmost all modern edible banana and plantain cultivars are hybrids and polyploids of the wild, seeded bananas Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana. They are almost always seedless and hence sterile, so they are propagated vegetatively...
- EnseteEnseteEnsete, or Enset, is a genus of plants, native to tropical regions of Africa and Asia. It is one of the three genera in the banana family, Musaceae.- Domesticated enset in Ethiopia :...
(false bananas) - MusaceaeMusaceaeMusaceae is a botanical name for a family of flowering plants. The family is native to the tropics of Africa and Asia. The plants have a large herbaceous growth habit with leaves with overlapping basal sheaths that form a pseudostem making some members appear to be woody trees.The family has been...
- MusellaMusellaMusella is a genus comprising one or two species in the family Musaceae native to southeast Asia, including southwest China , Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar...
- PlantainPlantainPlantain is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa. The fruit they produce is generally used for cooking, in contrast to the soft, sweet banana...