Japanese Fibre Banana
Musa basjoo

Family: Musaceae

What it is like

The false stems are 2.5-4 m long. The leaf stalk is 30 cm long. The leaf blade is bright green and oblong. It is 2-3 m long by 30 cm wide. The base is rounded and unequal. The flowering stalk hangs down. The bracts are red-brown to purple. There are 10-16 male flowers per bract in 2 rows. The fruit are berries with are oblong and 3-5 sided. There are many seeds. These are black and irregular angled. They are 6-8 mm wide.

It is used for medicine and ornament. There are about 30 Musa species.

Where it is found

It is a subtropical plant. They are resistant to cold. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia, China, Ryuku, India, Indochina, Japan, Korea, SE Asia, Slovenia, Taiwan, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The leaf stalk is cooked seasoned with other vegetables. It is also preserved in soy sauce. The rhizome is preserved in soybean paste.

It is sold in local markets.

Edible parts

Fruit, flower bud, stem, stalk, rhizome

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

A si, Ba jiao, Biao diu, Chuoi tieu, Gui he, Pacho

Synonyms

Musa japonica;