Courtwright 1988
Courtwright, G., (1988). Tropicals. Timber Press, Portland Oregon.
ISBN 0 88192 332 X
Illustrations of Ensete ventricosum
'Maurelii' on page 39 and Musa x paradisiaca on page 57.
Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii'
Plant colouration is influenced by different factors including age, nutrition, temperature
and light. The plants illustrated here have a rather pale colouration which I
believe may be typical of older plants. Here, the adaxial (upper) leaf surface is
essentially green with only a slight magenta-brown staining at the edges. The
abaxial leaf surface is essentially glaucus green tinged with magenta and with a strongly
coloured magenta mid-rib. In my experience, young plants grown outdoors in the UK in
full sun are much more strongly coloured than this (see Ensete ventricosum
var. maurelii images).
Musa x paradisiaca
I would venture to say that the plant illustrated here is not even a Musa let
alone Musa x paradisiaca; the habit of the plant is pure Ensete,
presumably Ensete ventricosum. The description is also striking:
"The plants are evergreen,
monocarpic (they die after flowers/fruits are produced)
and grow to a height of 15 ft."
This is not a description of any Musa.
No Musa is monocarpic but all Ensete are monocarpic.