Ensete glaucum
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2011) |
| Ensete glaucum | |
|---|---|
| File:Ensete glaucum 6zz.jpg | |
| At Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Miami | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Zingiberales |
| Family: | Musaceae |
| Genus: | Ensete |
| Species: | E. glaucum
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| Binomial name | |
| Ensete glaucum | |
Ensete glaucum, the snow banana, has also been classified as Musa nepalensis, Ensete giganteum, or Ensete wilsonii.
Distribution
[edit | edit source]This gigantic monocarpic herbaceous plant is native to China, Nepal, India, Myanmar (Burma), Vietnam and Thailand.[2] It is also native to Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Taiwan. It grows from 800–1,200 m (3,000–4,000 ft) in elevation.[1]
Description
[edit | edit source]Ensete glaucum has a thick, waxy with sometimes bluish tinge, solitary pseudostem. It grows larger than the Abyssinian banana (Ensete ventricosum).
Its leaves are 1.4–1.8 m (5–6 ft) long and 50–60 cm (20–24 in) wide.[3]
Cultivation and uses
[edit | edit source]The plant is cultivated as an ornamental plant, for its unique swollen bulbous base and large leaves[2] and is used to feed pigs in parts of China.[citation needed]
In India the pulp of the fruit is eaten, considered highly medicinal, and given to infants and patients. Young shoots and a flowering part are eaten as a vegetable. The plant is used in religious and domestic celebrations.[4]
It is easy to raise from seed. It is an extremely fast growing banana given heat, but not as hardy as the Abyssinian banana (Ensete ventricosum), and is not as well known.[citation needed]
References
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- File:Wikispecies-logo.svg Data related to Ensete glaucum at Wikispecies
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