Musella lasiocarpa
| Chinese dwarf banana | |
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| Species: | E. lasiocarpum
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| Ensete lasiocarpum (Franch.) Cheesman.
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The Chinese dwarf banana (Ensete lasiocarpum), also known as the golden lotus banana, is a plant of the Ensete genus. It is thus a close relative of bananas, and also a member of the Musaceae family. The plant is native to the Yunnan province in China, where it grows high in the mountains up to an altitude of 2500 m. It is known for its yellow erect flower (see image), generally appearing during the second year of cultivation, that can last a few months. Just before opening, the flower resembles a lotus - from which the plant gets one of its names.
In 1841, the United States Department of Agriculture introduced Chinese dwarf cooking-bananas to Florida, but there was little interest among consumers at the time.[2]
References
- ^ "The Plant List: A Working List of all Plant Species".
- ^ Virginia Scott Jenkins: "Bananas: An American History", Smithsonian Institution Press (ISBN 1-56098-966-1), p. 6