Fe'i banana, Mountain plantain
Musa troglodytarum

Family: Musaceae

What it is like

A large herb. It forms clumps. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows 4-5 m tall. It has a stout false stem. This often has a purple tinge. It secretes blood red sap. The leaves are long and dark green. The flower is erect. It bears thick blunt fleshy fruit. These may have a few or no seeds. The fruit are orange to orange-red when ripe. The fruit are 10-20 cm long. There are 5-30 fruit in a cluster.

There are about 30 Musa species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It suits the hot, wet tropical lowlands. It grows in inland mountain regions in Fiji.

Countries/locations it is found in

Bougainville, Chuuk, Cook Islands, Easter Island, Fiji, French Polynesia, FSM, Hawaii, India, Kosrae, Marquesas, Micronesia, New Caledonia, Pacific, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pohnpei, Rotuma, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Truk, USA, Vanuatu, Yap

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten cooked. They are starchy. Caution: The yellow flesh turns the urine red.

It is cultivated.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants are grown by division using suckers.

Its other names

Local names

Arai, Arasech, Borabora, Huetu, Kalach, Kapana, Karaj, Karat banana, Karat, Karech, Sae, Sei, Soa'a, Soaqa, Sowaqa, 'Uatu, Usr kuhlahsr, Ve'i

Synonyms

Musa fehi Bertero ex Vieill.; Musa fei Nadeaud; Musa seemanni F.v.Muell.; Musa uranoscopus Seem.; Musa aiori Sagot; ?