Edit Plant: Musa textilis

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{{Inc| Musa textilis, Nee (M. mindanensis, Rumph. M. silvestris, Colla. M. troglodytarum textoria, Blanco. M. Abaca, Perr.). Abaca. Manila Hemp. Whole plant 13-22 ft. high, stoloniferous: lvs. oblong, deltoid at base, bright green above, glaucous beneath, often with large brown spots; petiole 1 ft. or more long: spike drooping, shorter than lvs.; male fls. deciduous; calyx 5-lobed, about 1 ½ in. long, the outer lobes with a curved, threadlike horn near the apex: fr. obscurely 3-angled, curved, 2-3 in. long, 1 in. diam., not edible, filled with seed; seeds black, turbinate, 1/6 in. diam., angled by pressure. Philippine Isls.— Furnishes one of the most valuable fibers known for the manufacture of rope. Cf. p. 171, Vol. I; also Cyclo. Amer. Agric., Vol. II, p. 286. Much grown in the Philippines. Var. amboinensis, Miq. (M. amboinensis, Rumph.). Not so tall and spike not so drooping: fr. about 3 in. long, black at maturity. Amboina.—Cult.in the Philippine Isls. and used in the manufacture of Manila hemp. }} ABACA, or Manila hemp, is the fiber of Musa texlilis, a native of the Philippine Islands, where it is grown for commerce. The plant is like the banana in general habit of growth, although it is seed-bearing. It is propagated by seeds or suckers or root-cuttings. When two to five years old it is at maturity, reaching a height of 6 to 15 feet and a diameter of trunk of 6 to 15 inches. The fiber is derived from the thick sheathing leaf-stems, the stems being cut between the flowering and fruiting stages. After seed-bearing, the top or "plant" dies and new suckers or shoots spring from the roots. The first stalks may be cut as early as twenty months after planting, and the plantation is cut over about once in eight months until it becomes unproductive, which will be fifteen to forty years. New stalks continue to arise as the old ones are cut. The fiber, as found in the market, is coarse and stiff and 6 to 12 feet long. In the better grades it is very strong. The fruit of Musa textilis is not edible. <!-- Remove the following line if this is a genus article, leave if it is a species and replace GENUS NAME HERE --> :''More information about this species can be found on the [[Musa|genus page]].'' ==Cultivation== {{edit-cult}}<!--- Type cultivation info below this line, then delete this entire line --> ===Propagation=== {{edit-prop}}<!--- Type propagation info below this line, then delete this entire line --> ===Pests and diseases=== {{edit-pests}}<!--- Type pest/disease info below this line, then delete this entire line --> ==Species== <!-- This section should be renamed Cultivars if it appears on a page for a species (rather than genus), or perhaps Varieties if there is a mix of cultivars, species, hybrids, etc --> <!-- Usually in list format like this: --> <!-- *''[[Freesia alba]]'' --> <!-- *''[[Freesia laxa]]'' (syn. ''Anomatheca laxa'', ''Lapeirousia laxa'') --> ==Gallery== {{photo-sources}}<!-- remove this line if there are already 3 or more photos in the gallery --> <gallery> Image:Upload.png| photo 1 Image:Upload.png| photo 2 Image:Upload.png| photo 3 </gallery> ==References== <!--- xxxxx *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381 --> <!--- xxxxx *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432 --> <!--- xxxxx *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608 --> ==External links== *{{wplink}} {{stub}} __NOTOC__

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