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Musa acuminata - Colla.

Dwarf Banana

Author	Colla.	Botanical references	200, 266
Family	Musaceae	Genus	Musa
Synonyms
Known Hazards	None known
Range	E. Asia - Southern China, India, Malaysia and the Phillipines.
Habitat	Shaded and moist ravines, marshlands, semi-marshlands and slopes from near sea level to 1200 metres[266].
Edibility Rating	2 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	0 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 3m.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats

South Wall By; West Wall By;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit.

Fruit - raw or dried for later use[177]. Sweet[46, 166]. The fruit is up to 12cm long and 2.5cm wide[200].

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Requires a sunny sheltered position in a well-drained fertile soil with a pH between 6 and 7.5[200]. This species is able to tolerate light frosts, but it requires a very sheltered position[166]. Another report says that it requires a minimum winter temperature of 10°c and no lower than 18°c when the fruit is ripening[200]. Wild plants are diploid (2n = 22) and bear fruits containing numerous seeds making them inedible. Cultivated plants are triploid (2n = 33) and bear seedless, edible fruits; such plants have been called M. acuminata ‘Dwarf Cavendish’ (M. cavendishii Lambert ex Paxton; M. chinensis Sweet; M. nana Loureiro)[266].

Propagation

Seed - sow the large seed in individual pots in the spring in a warm greenhouse at about 20°c[200]. Grow the seedlings on in a rich soil, giving occasional liquid feeds. Keep the plants in the greenhouse for at least three years before trying them outdoors. Division of suckers in late spring. Dig up the suckers with care, trying to cause the least disturbance to the main plant. Pot them up and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a greenhouse until they are well established.

Links

This plant is also mentioned in the following PFAF articles: Conservatory Plants.

References

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[166] Taylor. J. The Milder Garden. Dent 1990
A good book on plants that you didn't know could be grown outdoors in Britain.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[266] Flora of China 1994
On-line version of the Flora - an excellent resource giving basic info on habitat and some uses.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

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