|
| |
Ensete superbum
Ensete superbum (W. Roxburgh, in Hortus Bengalensis 19: 19 (nomen)
(1814), and Flora Indica 2: 2 (description) (1824), and Flora Indica ed.
2, 1: 667 (1832)) E. E. Cheesman, Kew Bulletin 2 (2): 100 (1947).
| Accepted name |
Ensete superbum (W. Roxburgh) E. E. Cheesman, Kew
Bulletin 2 (2): 100 (1947). |
| Synonyms |
Musa superba W. Roxburgh,
in Hortus Bengalensis 19: 19 (nomen) (1814), and Flora Indica
2: 2 (description) (1824), and Flora Indica ed. 2, 1: 667 (1832). |
| Authorities |
The authorities for the accepted name are Cheesman 1947a and
Simmonds 1960. The synonym is from Cheesman 1947a. |
| Distribution |
India
(Western Ghats: Bombay-Madras, Kotra, Mamer, Jhadol and Ogna Forest Ranges [Udaipur
distr., Rajasthan], Deccan, Nasik, Khandesh and Poona districts, Anamalei Mts (North of
Cochin and Madura), Matheran Ram Ghat, Khandala, Assam, Dingidul), [Burma and Thailand?]. |
| Description |
Plant 10 ft. - 12 ft. high and the pseudostem 5 ft. - 6 ft.
tall, with an enormous swollen base of 7 ft. - 8 ft. in circumference at the base,
narrowed to 3 ft. below the leaves. The leaves are bright green on both sides, 5 ft.
long, 1½ ft. broad ; free petiole very short, deeply channelled. The leaf sheaths
are persistent at the base and leave closely set scars on the corm. The
inflorescence is globose at first, 1 ft. in diameter, later drooping and elongating to one
third the length of the trunk. The bracts are orbicular, dark brown-red (dull
claret-brown), reaching 1 ft. in length and breadth and subtend dense biseriate rows each
of 10 - 15 flowers. Ovary white, cylindrical, above an inch long. The outer perianth
is whitish, as long as the overy and three-lobed or formed of three loosely coherent
segments. The inner perianth is shorter than the outer, tricuspidate with a
long, linear central cusp. The fruits are subcoriaceous 3 in. long, 1½
diameter more or less triangular and contain numerous dark brown seeds. The seeds
are subglobose but angled by pressure, 1/3 - ½ in. in diameter. The plant dies down to an
underground corm in the dry season and forms new leaves at the beginning of the monsoon. (Baker 1893, 1894 a & 1906, Mahabale 1981, Sharma 1996). |
| References |
Argent 1984, Baker 1893: 207-208, Baker
1894a: 242 & 261, Baker 1906: 15, Champion 1967: 11, Cheesman
1947a: 100, De Wildeman 1912: 355, Dutta et al 1968, Fawcett 1913: 276, Hore et
al 1992: 450 Huxley 1992, Griffiths 1994, GRIN, IPGRI, Mahabale 1981: 445-456, Moore 1957: 192, RHS 1956, Roxburgh 1795: t. 223, Roxburgh 1824: 489-490 and
1874: 224, Ryan 1904, Sastri
1962: 450, Schumann 1912 : 14 & 16, Sharma 1996: 322-323, Simmonds
1960: 207, 209, 210, 212, Watt 1908 : 302, Witt 1916: 218. |
| Comments |
Ensete superbum is reported as occurring naturally
only in India unlike the other Asian Ensete species, Ensete glaucum,
which has a very wide distribution. E. superbum is essentially a plant of
the Western Ghats of India but, as noted above, there are sporadic accounts of it
elsewhere in the country, possibly in cultivation as an ornamental.
There are reports of a plant similar to E. superbum
in Thailand. Although there does seem to be at
least one distinct and as yet undescribed Ensete in Thailand there is also a
possibility that E. superbum has been introduced there as an ornamental. As
early as 1893 Baker noted that E. superbum was "frequent in
cultivation" and it was introduced into the Calcutta Botanic Garden in 1800.
Although the natural range of E. superbum does not appear to overlap with E.
glaucum the possibility of hybridisation exists where through introduction they are
now sympatric.
In Kerala in the Western Ghats the plant is known locally as
"kal vazhai" or "rock banana". The flesh of the fruit is given
to diabetics under ayurvedic practice. The ground seeds are also used in Ayurveda
and cultivation of the plant has recently started in Kerala to supply seed. The
plant is listed as a Famine Food.
Ensete superbum is mis-spelled Ensete superba
in the IPGRI entry.
The plant is in cultivation, e.g. at RBG Kew and Toby Spanner
has now started to offer seed commercially.
Images:
There
are 9 images of Ensete superbum. |
With
acknowledgements to Ganesh Mani Pradhan.
| |
|