Musa robusta

Musa robusta Wallich

Accepted name ? Ensete superbum (W. Roxburgh) E. E. Cheesman, Kew Bulletin 2 (2): 100 (1947).
Synonyms
Authorities
Section
Distribution
Description
References Desmond 1992 : 148
Comments Name on a painting of an Ensete (probably Ensete superbum) by an Indian artist [Nerval or Newal?] held in the library at RBGK.  This is the "drawing" referred to by Ray Desmond in The European Discovery of the Indian Flora [p. 148].  He comments on the difficulty some Indian artists had in adapting from the Mughal style of plant illustration to the botanically correct representation demanded by European botanists such as Joseph Hooker.

"Indian artists found difficulty in rendering the fragility of petals and the texture of leaves.  A drawing of "Musa nepalensis", probably Ensete glaucum, incurred the displeasure of of one botanist who indignantly scribbled on it:    'Most abominable leaves for which master painter shall be duly cut with reference to his month's wages'."

Rather than Musa nepalensis the painting is annotated Musa robusta Wall. and is probably Ensete superbum rather than E. glaucum.

home     next

last updated 17/10/2008