Musa basjoo
| Musa basjoo | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| (unranked): | Commelinids |
| Order: | Zingiberales |
| Family: | Musaceae |
| Genus: | Musa |
| Species: | M. basjoo |
| Binomial name | |
| Musa basjoo Siebold & Zucc. ex Iinuma | |
Musa basjoo, known variously as Japanese banana,[1] Japanese fibre banana[2] 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,[3] but is now known to have originated from southern China, where it is also widely cultivated, with wild populations found in Sichuan province.[2][4]
Description
Musa basjoo is a herbaceous perennial with trunk-like pseudostems growing to around 2–2.5 m (6.6–8.2 ft), with a crown of mid-green leaves growing up to 2 m (6.6 ft) long and 70 cm (28 in) wide when mature. The species produces male and female flowers on the same inflorescence which may extend for over 1 m (3.3 ft). The banana fruit formed are yellow-green, around 5–10 cm (2.0–3.9 in) long and 2–3 cm (0.79–1.18 in) broad; they are inedible, with sparse white pulp and many black seeds.[3][5]
Uses
Cultivation
Musa basjoo has been cultivated both for its fibre and as an ornamental plant in gardens outside its natural range, first in Japan, and from the late 19th century, in parts of western Europe (north to Britain), the United States, and Canada. In gardens it is used as a hardy 'tropical foliage' plant. Although the pseudostem may only cope with a few degrees below freezing, the underground rhizome is considered frost hardy, if well insulated with thick mulch, in areas with winter temperatures down to −12 °C (10 °F).[3][6] The roots are considered hardy to −10 °C (14 °F).[7] If the pseudostem is killed, the banana will resprout from the ground where it rapidly grows to full size in a season under optimal conditions. Thus, it can be grown as far north as USDA zone 6a. It can also be overwintered under cover in a pot and kept growing, which is the only way it can be made to fruit in northern regions as it requires 12–24 months of warmth to bloom.[3]
Fibre
In Japan, the fibres of the plant are used to produce textiles known in Japanese as bashōfu (芭蕉布, lit. "banana cloth"). Whole pseudostems are cut into strips up to 3 m long. These are beaten, bleached and dried to produce the raw material, which can then be made into products like hand-knotted carpets, tablecloths, kimonos and paper.[7]
Traditional medicine
In traditional Chinese medicine, the stem, flower, leaves and rhizome of Musa basjoo are considered useful for clearing heat-toxins, quenching thirst and disinhibiting urine.[8]
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Musa basjoo. |
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Wikispecies has information related to: Musa basjoo |
- ↑ Prof. Snow Barlow (July 19, 2002). "Sorting Musa Names". Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database. University of Melbourne. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
- 1 2 USDA GRIN: Musa basjoo
- 1 2 3 4 Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening 3: 268. Macmillan ISBN 0-333-47494-5.
- ↑ Liu, A.-Z., Li, D.-Z., & Li, X.-W. (2002). "Taxonomic notes on wild bananas (Musa) from China". Bot. Bull. Acad. Sin. 43: 77–81.
- ↑ Constantine, D. (1999–2008). The Musaceae - an annotated list of the species of Ensete, Musa and Musella. Musa basjoo.
- ↑ "Banans Raras – Musa basjoo". Retrieved 23 November 2013.
- 1 2 Wong, James (2013), "Kimonos from banana peel?", The Garden, 138 (8): 17
- ↑ Musa basjoo Sieb. et Zucc.. Medicinal Plant Images Database, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University. Retrieved on 25 February 2012.
External links
- Musa basjoo Sieb. et Zucc. Medicinal Plant Images Database (School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University) (English) (traditional Chinese)