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Musa acuminata (Banana)
![[Zebrina Banana]](banana.jpg) M. acuminata 'Zebrina' - Striped Banana |
Musa acuminata, a widespread and prolific Asian species, is the primary parent for the majority of edible grocer bananas, and many ornamental varieties as well. The cultivated grocer varieties are actually sterile and therefore seedless.The banana has been in cultivation for roughly 3000 years and the true breeding lines are somewhat cloudy. Most of the species will interbreed readily; many hybrid varieties exist both in cultivation and in the wild. The fruit size, shape, and color varies from the large yellow grocer banana to small, red, bitter fruits only a two or three inches long. |
The banana pictured above is a hand-me-down plant that was planted in a large Rubbermaid type plastic tub. It grew from a small (3ft-4ft) single stem into a larger 10ft multiple stem clump over three years.
Once in my custody the plant was divided. It survived a fair amount of abuse during the repotting. Each single trunk being cut free from the others with a bow saw to the rootball, and all the younger sprouts were pulled, tugged, and snapped free of the rootball. All of the plants that were seperated and repotted survived and are growing wonderfully in various peoples' homes.
This particular plant seems to thrive in a loose, fluffy, peat based potting mix.
The variety pictured is believed to be 'Zebrina', Striped, Zebra, or Blood banana. All tags were long ago lost, and the red blotches/stripes on the leaves indicate a similarity to any of the above listed varieties, which may or may not be the same plant. The described plant produces tiny bananas about three inches long and no thicker than an average adult man's thumb. They are described as 'non-edible' due to the highly concentrated chalky bitterness, similiar but stronger than that tasted in a very green grocer banana.
Kingdom: Plantae
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Cross referenced against the National Center for Biotechnology Information's Taxonomy Browser
and the Plants Database at http://plants.usda.gov/.
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Bibliography
---Brickell, Cristopher and Judith D. Zuk, 1997, The American Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, New York: DK Publishing, Inc., ISBN 0-7894-1943-2
---Jenkins, Dorothy H., 1975, The Encyclopedia of House Plants, New York: Bantam Books
---McDonald, Elvin, 1963, The World Book of House Plants, Popular Library
---Rodale, J.I., 1965, The Encyclodedia of Organic Gardening, Emmaus, Pennsylvania: Rodale Books
---Turner, R.G. Jr., 2001, Botanica, Barnes & Noble, Inc. and Random House Australia Pty Ltd, B&N ISBN 0760716420, ISBN 1566491754
 Botanica |
 Rodale's All New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening |
 American Horticulture Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants |