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Musa paradisiaca


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Read about Musa paradisiaca in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture 

Musa paradisiaca, Linn. Plantain. Cooking Banana. Adam's Fig. Whole plant 20-30 ft. high, stoloniferous: st. 20-25 ft. high: lvs. oblong, thin, bright green, 5-8 ft. long, 1 ½ -2 ft. wide, usually rounded at base; petiole 1-1 ½ ft. long: calyx drooping, often 4-5 ft. long; bracts mostly persistent, lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, dull violet, more or less glaucous outside, the lower 1 ½ ft- long, the upper ½ ft. long, often red inside, several expanded at once, the edges of the upper not involute; male fls. mostly persistent; fls. about a dozen to a cluster, yellowish white, 1 ½ in. long; calyx 5- toothed at the top; free petal oval, half as long as the calyx: fr. cylindrical, ½ -l ft. long, usually yellow or yellowish green when ripe, 40-80 in a bunch, flesh firm, not so sweet as the banana. Native of India. R.H. 1888, p. 69. L.B.C. 7:684. Redoutd, Liliaceae, 443, 444. —Universally cult.in the tropics, especially in the W. Indies and Cent. Amer. Not suitable to eat without cooking.

Subsp. (I) sapientum, Kuntze (M. sapientum, Linn.). Common Banana. Male fls. deciduous: fr. yellow, somewhat 3-angled, 3-8 in. long, l ½ -2 in. diam. India. Trew, Plantae Selects, 21-23. Rheed, Hortus Malabaricus 1:12-14.—Most of the commercial bananas are obtained from the numerous varieties of this subspecies.

Var.(a) Champa, Baker (M. Champa, Hort. M. orientum, Hort.). Hart's Choice. Lady Finger, or Golden Early Banana. Chumpa. St. and midrib of lf. tinged with red: fr. pale straw-color, about 6 in. long; skin soft and thin; flesh luscious, delicate in flavor, ripening quickly.—Hardy in cool climates. Best of all for growing in Fla. Much grown in the W. Indies.

Var.(b) rubra, Baker (M. rubra, Firming, not Wall.). Baracoa, Red Jamaica, or Red Spanish Banana. St., petiole, fls. and midrib of lf. dull red: fr. at first dark red, ripening to yellowish red. This is the red banana of commerce formerly imported in large quantities from the W. Indies. Fine for decorative purposes but tender. G.C. III. 29:335. R.H. 1905:68—The golden banana with fr. golden yellow or reddish, 8-9 in. long and blunt, is intermediate between this and var. Champa.

Var.(c) cinerea, Blanco. Letondal or Chotda Banana. Fr. short, whitish, not angled, thin-skinned: flesh somewhat grayish; delicious; skin splitting and turning back at maturity; perfect seed frequently found.—Intro. from India by a French priest named Letondal. Cult. in the Philippine Islands and Guam.

Var.(d) Dacca, Baker (M. Dacca, Horan. M. palustris, Hort.). Dacca Banana. St. pruinose: lvs. paler green than in the subspecies, glaucous beneath; border of the petiole red: fr. yellow, 4 in. long, 2 in. diam., tip and base bright green, skin very thick. India.—Flavor good. Tender.

Var.(e) sanguinea, Welw. Lvs. and fr. strongly tinged with blood-red.—Intro. into cult. in Eu. in 1903.

Var.(f) vittata, Hook. Lvs. and long frs. copiously striped with white and rose: bracts bright red inside. Isl. of St. Thomas, W. Afr. B.M. 5402.—Very decorative.

Var.(g) ternatensis, Blanco. Chotda Dama. Whole plant 5-6 ft. high: fls. about 20 to a cluster; calyx often coronate at maturity; free petal pitted at the outer tip: fr. with 3-5 prominent angles; seeds rare. Philippine Isls.— Cult. also in Guam. One of the most palatable varieties.

Var.(h) magna, Blanco. Chotda Tandaque. Fr. 3- to several-angled at maturity, over 1 ft. long by 3 in. diam.. more palatable when cooked. Philippine Isls.—Cult.also in Guam. Cloth is made from the fiber but it is not of as good quality as that from abaca.

Var.(i) suaveolens, Blanco. Bungulan. Fr. usually green, with yellowish spots at maturity; angles not conspicuous, obliterated at maturity; flesh fragrant and very palatable. Philippines.—Cult. in Guam.

Var.(j) Lacatan, Blanco. Lacatan. Fls. about 14 to a cluster; calyx 5-toothed, the 3 alternate teeth large: fr. angled-obtuse at apex; flesh fragrant, firm. Philippines. Cult. in Guam. Blanco, Flora de Filipinas, 12:88 (1877).—One of the most palatable varieties.

Var.(k) oleracea, Baker (M. oleracea, Vieill.). A flowerless form with a glaucous, violet st. and elongated, thick, turnip-like rhizome, which is boiled or roasted like a yam, and resembles it in taste. Intro. from New Caledonia, where it does not flower. B.M. 7802.—The tubers have "eyes" like a potato and the plant may be prop. by division. Cult.in Eu. where fls. have been produced but no fr.

Subsp. (II) troglodytarum, Baker (M. troglodytarum, Linn.). Spike erect in the lower half, drooping in the upper half: fr. small, crowded on the lower erect portion, oblong, cylindric, reddish yellow, containing rudimentary seeds; flesh sweet, yellow. India and Malaya. Blanco, Flora de Filipinas 12:88 (1877). — The favorite food of elephants. Rarely cult. in the U. S.

Subsp. (III) seminifera, Baker (M. seminifera, Lour.). Frs. small, oblong, full of seed, yellowish or greenish. Not edible. This apparently represents the wild seed-bearing form. Found wild in India, the Malayan and Philippine Isls.


The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.


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