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Musa ensete
Musa ensete J. F. Gmelin, Syst. Nat. ed. 13, 2: 567 (1791) and J. E. G. Baker,
Annals of Botany 7: 205 (1893).
Accepted name |
Ensete ventricosum (F. M. J. Welwitsch) E. E.
Cheesman, Kew Bulletin 2 (2): 101 (1947) and R. E. D. Baker & N. W. Simmonds, Kew
Bulletin 8 (3): 405 (1953) with correction in Kew Bulletin 8 (4): 574 (1953). |
Synonyms |
Ensete edule P. F.
Horaninow, Prodromus Monographiae Scitaminarum : 41 (1862). |
Authorities |
The accepted name is from Baker & Simmonds 1953 as
corrected (please see link below).
The synonym is from Cheesman 1947a. |
Section |
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Distribution |
"Mountains of Abyssinia, southward to hills south of the Victoria Nyanza
Lake. Niam-Niam land." (Baker
1893). |
Description |
"Whole plant 30 - 40 ft. high. Stem ventricose at the base,
non-stoloniferous. Leaves oblong, acute, bright green, reaching a length of 20ft.
and a breadth of 3 ft. ; petiole short, broad, deeply channelled. Peduncle short ;
flowering panicle globose ; bracts densely imbricated, ovate, 9 - 12 in. long, dark
claret-brown. Flowers whitish, 1½ - 2 in. long, arranged in two rows, up to 20 in a
row. Ovary cylindrical, above an inch long ; calyx lingulate, 3-lobed at the apex ;
petal short, tricuspidate, with a large linera central cusp. Sixth stamen
rudimentary. Fruit coriaceous, dry, 2 - 3 in. long. Seeds 1 - 4, black,
glossy, transversely oblong, nearly an inch broad, with a prominent raised border round
the hilum."
(Baker 1893). |
References |
Argent 1984, Baker 1893 : 205-206, Baker & Simmonds 1953 : 405, Champion 1967 : 40, Cheesman
1947 a : 100, Fawcett 1913 : 273, Griffiths 1994, GRIN, Huxley 1992, Lock 1993 : 3, RHS 1956, Sagot 1887 : 328. |
Comments |
"For a full account" of the uses of the plant in Abyssinia
(Ethiopia) Baker says "see Bruce's Travels in Abyssinia, vol.
vii p. 149 (figured in his Atlas, tab. 89) ; Grant, in Trans. Linn. Soc. XXIX, 153, and
Duchartre in Sagot's monograph, pp. 5-9."
Baker also mentions a couple of other African Musa in his discussion of M.
ensete; "Grant's plant from Wagenda, with a stem like two
great drums placed one upon another, and Heuglin's from Semen, with stolons, will likely
prove distinct species." Presumably these were also Ensete
ventricosum.Cheesman
gave M. ensete as a synonym of Ensete edule but noted that "It seems very probable that the combination M. ensete has been
applied to more than one species of the group in cultivation as ornamental plants. I
have, therefore, not listed the numerous references which can be found in De Wildeman
(1912), Index Londinensis and elsewhere; each of them will need checking by the
monographer of the genus." It is likely that most if not all members of
this group are referable to Ensete ventricosum. |
Compiled partly with information from Gerda Rossel
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