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Fayaz, F. (2011) Encyclopedia of Tropical Plants Firefly Books, New Zealand
Herbs, perennial, tufted, underground stems (corms) rhizomatous, stoloniferous; stems remaining short until flowering; pseudo stems tall, clustered, each composed of closely packed leaf sheaths, base slightly swollen. Leaves large, oblong, un-lobed, splitting with age; petiole long, base enlarged into a sheath. Inflorescence solitary, terminal, erect or pendent, lax, not conical; bracts green, brown, red, dull purple or, rarely, yellow, usually deciduous. All flowers functionally sterile. Compound tepal tubular, soon splitting to base on 1 side, apex 5-toothed. Fruit berries, fleshy, cylindric, often elongate. Seeds numerous irregularly globose. Derivation of name: Named for Antonius Musa, physician to Octavius Augustus, first emperor of Rome. Worldwide: 63 species in Tanzania, tropical and sub-tropical Asia, West Pacific. Zimbabwe: 3 cultivated taxa. |
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Species | Content |
ornata Roxb. | |
sp. (Ornamental bananas) | |
× paradisiaca L. | Image |
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