Musa ornata
Encyclopedia
Musa ornata is one of more than 50 species of banana
in the genus Musa
. Most of these species are large perennial tropical herbs, mainly of lowland areas with high temperature and humidity. The Musa ornata originated in southeast Asia
, and is cultivated for its commercial and ornamental value. Musa ornata has many common names in reference to the varying colors of its flowers including 'African Red
', 'Bronze
', 'Dusty Rose', 'Leyte White
', 'Macro', 'Magenta
', 'Pink
', 'Purple
', 'Red', 'Royal Pink', 'Royal Purple', 'Royal Red', and 'Red Salmon
'. The fruit is attractive but tends to be inedible.
M. ornata belongs to the Musa
subgenus Rhodochlamys. Rhodochlamys is one of the four sections into
which the genus Musa is divided (the others being Australimusa, Callimusa and Eumusa, which is sometimes called Musa). As a member of Rhodochlamys, M. ornata has a basic chromosome number of 2n = 22 compared with 2n = 20 of the Australimusa and Callimusa. Plants of this section are known for their brightly colored bracts.
The true M. ornata is found in India
and is a small species. From its home in India it reached Central
and South America
early in the 19th century where it became naturalized. M. ornata is not an especially variable plant in itself but it hybridizes freely with other species. The result is that there are a number of hybrids derived from it in the tropical regions of America.
Plants grow to a height of 5 to 10 ft (1.5 to 3 m). The plants have green foliage with pink tones throughout. The leaves
can grow to be 6 ft (1.8 m) long, 14 inches (35.6 cm) wide and can be used for tropical cut flower arrangements. It produces pink flowers and small, dark pink or crimson
fruit. The fruit type is a banana that is seeded and inedible.
Musa ornata is a yellow-orange inflorence whose male and female flowers both tend to be 3-5 per bract in a single row, varying up to about 7 per cluster. The anthers of the male flowers are purple while the female style is green.
may be cooked or used in salads, while the leaves are often incorporated in making dressings. The root
of the plant is also sometimes used for ayurvedic preparations (alternative medicine
) in northeast India
. The ash of the pseudostem, the corm
, the fruiting stalk and fruit peel
are also used as an anti-scorbutic (to prevent scurvy
), as well as for digestive help, or as a tonic
.
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
in the genus Musa
Musa (genus)
Musa is one of three genera in the family Musaceae; it includes bananas and plantains. There are over 50 species of Musa with a broad variety of uses....
. Most of these species are large perennial tropical herbs, mainly of lowland areas with high temperature and humidity. The Musa ornata originated in southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, and is cultivated for its commercial and ornamental value. Musa ornata has many common names in reference to the varying colors of its flowers including 'African Red
Red
Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...
', 'Bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
', 'Dusty Rose', 'Leyte White
White
White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
', 'Macro', 'Magenta
Magenta
Magenta is a color evoked by light stronger in blue and red wavelengths than in yellowish-green wavelengths . In light experiments, magenta can be produced by removing the lime-green wavelengths from white light...
', 'Pink
Pink
Pink is a mixture of red and white. Commonly used for Valentine's Day and Easter, pink is sometimes referred to as "the color of love." The use of the word for the color known today as pink was first recorded in the late 17th century....
', 'Purple
Purple
Purple is a range of hues of color occurring between red and blue, and is classified as a secondary color as the colors are required to create the shade....
', 'Red', 'Royal Pink', 'Royal Purple', 'Royal Red', and 'Red Salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
'. The fruit is attractive but tends to be inedible.
Description
M. ornata belongs to the Musa
Musa (genus)
Musa is one of three genera in the family Musaceae; it includes bananas and plantains. There are over 50 species of Musa with a broad variety of uses....
subgenus Rhodochlamys. Rhodochlamys is one of the four sections into
which the genus Musa is divided (the others being Australimusa, Callimusa and Eumusa, which is sometimes called Musa). As a member of Rhodochlamys, M. ornata has a basic chromosome number of 2n = 22 compared with 2n = 20 of the Australimusa and Callimusa. Plants of this section are known for their brightly colored bracts.
The true M. ornata is found in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and is a small species. From its home in India it reached Central
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
early in the 19th century where it became naturalized. M. ornata is not an especially variable plant in itself but it hybridizes freely with other species. The result is that there are a number of hybrids derived from it in the tropical regions of America.
Plants grow to a height of 5 to 10 ft (1.5 to 3 m). The plants have green foliage with pink tones throughout. The leaves
Leaves
-History:Vocalist Arnar Gudjonsson was formerly the guitarist with Mower, and he was joined by Hallur Hallsson , Arnar Ólafsson , Bjarni Grímsson , and Andri Ásgrímsson . Late in 2001 they played with Emiliana Torrini and drew early praise from the New York Times...
can grow to be 6 ft (1.8 m) long, 14 inches (35.6 cm) wide and can be used for tropical cut flower arrangements. It produces pink flowers and small, dark pink or crimson
Crimson
Crimson is a strong, bright, deep red color. It is originally the color of the dye produced from a scale insect, Kermes vermilio, but the name is now also used as a generic term for those slightly bluish-red colors that are between red and rose; besides crimson itself, these colors include...
fruit. The fruit type is a banana that is seeded and inedible.
Musa ornata is a yellow-orange inflorence whose male and female flowers both tend to be 3-5 per bract in a single row, varying up to about 7 per cluster. The anthers of the male flowers are purple while the female style is green.
Distribution
M. ornata is native to south-east Asia and commonly found in Bangladesh, Burma, and India. This species is widely distributed throughout tropical regions but it is often misnamed. The plant is relatively tolerant and was found in Mauritius (off the coast of Madagascar) before 1805 and must have begun to travel several years before it was botanically described in 1824 on Indian banana plantations. Numerous parts of Mexico have also naturalized the plant, although the seedlings are often offered commercially under a different name (Musa violacea). .Uses
M. ornata is an ornamental perennial plant that is usually grown for decorative purposes. It flowers readily and produces few but viable seeds. The male budBud
In botany, a bud is an undeveloped or embryonic shoot and normally occurs in the axil of a leaf or at the tip of the stem. Once formed, a bud may remain for some time in a dormant condition, or it may form a shoot immediately. Buds may be specialized to develop flowers or short shoots, or may have...
may be cooked or used in salads, while the leaves are often incorporated in making dressings. The root
Root
In vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial or aerating . Furthermore, a stem normally occurring below ground is not exceptional either...
of the plant is also sometimes used for ayurvedic preparations (alternative medicine
Alternative medicine
Alternative medicine is any healing practice, "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine." It is based on historical or cultural traditions, rather than on scientific evidence....
) in northeast India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The ash of the pseudostem, the corm
Corm
A corm is a short, vertical, swollen underground plant stem that serves as a storage organ used by some plants to survive winter or other adverse conditions such as summer drought and heat ....
, the fruiting stalk and fruit peel
Peel (fruit)
Peel, also known as rind or skin, is the outer protective layer of a fruit or vegetable which could be peeled off. The rind is usually the botanical exocarp, but the term exocarp does also include the hard cases of nuts, which are not named peels since they are not peeled off by hand or peeler, but...
are also used as an anti-scorbutic (to prevent scurvy
Scurvy
Scurvy is a disease resulting from a deficiency of vitamin C, which is required for the synthesis of collagen in humans. The chemical name for vitamin C, ascorbic acid, is derived from the Latin name of scurvy, scorbutus, which also provides the adjective scorbutic...
), as well as for digestive help, or as a tonic
Patent medicine
Patent medicine refers to medical compounds of questionable effectiveness sold under a variety of names and labels. The term "patent medicine" is somewhat of a misnomer because, in most cases, although many of the products were trademarked, they were never patented...
.