Bananas are members of the Musaceae plant family, which has two Genera,
Ensete and Musa:
Ensete—there are six or seven different species, grown in tropical southeast Asia
and Africa. In south Ethiopia Ensete ventricosa is a staple food crop, grown mainly
at 1500–3000 m above sea level. Known as Ostafrik Anische or Wildbanane in
German. The pseudostems and corms are cut up, and the pulp either eaten fresh or
fermented in silos and then usually made into bread. Sacks and ropes are also made
from the fibre extracted from the pseudostems. The plant is harvested about 4–5
years after propagation from buds, before the inflorescence (flower head) is formed,
which would use up the starch.
Musa—about 40 species, divided into five groups:
- Eumusa—the largest group, with 13–15 species, including the Common Banana
Musa sapientum; also the most important and widely distributed group, including
the sub-group the Plantains, described below. - Callimusa—small plants, grown in Indochina, Malaya and Borneo.
- Rhodochlamys—grown from India to Indonesia, sometimes as ornamentals.
- Australimusa—grown from Queensland to the Philippines. Includes the species
Musa textiles, Manila hemp, or abaca, used for making marine rope, fishing gear, in
the mining industry, in making strong sacks and paper (used for example in movable - Incertae sedis—‘of uncertain position/seat’ a taxonomic group where its broader
relationships are unknown or undefined. Includes the wild indigenous species Musa
ingens (‘the world s tallest herb’).
The Eumusa group provide virtually all of the edible bananas that are cultivated,
and is the group which is described below.
Plantains
An important sub-group of the Eumusas (sometimes classified as a separate species,
Musa paradisiaca, as opposed to the “Common” banana, Musa sapientum),
plantains provide an important food source in south India, Africa and tropical
America. They are not important anywhere East of India except for some “Horn
Plantain” types grown eastwards to the Phillippines and the Pacific.
Their fruits are acidic, starchy and unpalatable until cooked. Nutritionally they
are similar to the sweet potato.
The plants are resistant to the notorious Panama Disease, and also Leaf Spot, but
are very susceptible to attack by the Banana Weevil (or Stem Borer). For details of
the utilisation of plantains, see the penultimate paragraph of this sub-section on
bananas, “Utilisation”.
Botany of Bananas
Plants of the Musa species are large, perennial, tree-like herbs 2–9 m tall, with
tightly rolled overlapping leaf sheaths forming a pseudostem of about 30 cm
diameter, above the basal corm. The root system is very shallow, with most of the
adventitious roots formed in the top 15 cm of the soil profile, and spreading laterally
for 4–5 m.
248 TONY WINCH
’
paper walls in Japanese houses), etc. Also the Feci banana, eaten in Polynesia.
—