Stone banana
Musa balbisiana var. brachycarpa

Family: Musaceae

What it is like

A banana plant that keeps growing from year to year with many suckers. It grows 8-10 m tall. The false trunk is 4-7 m tall. The leaves have long leaf stalks. The leaves are oblong with a heart shaped base. They are 2-3 m long by 40-70 cm wide. The flowering stalk hangs down. It is 1-1.5 m long. Lower flowers are female and higher flowers are male. The bracts are dark purple with yellow tips. They are 12-30 cm long. The fruit contain seeds.

There are about 30 Musa species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in forest valleys with rich, moist soil. It grows up to 1,100 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Asia, China, Himalayas, India, Indonesia (country/location of origin), Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Guinea, Philippines, SE Asia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand

How it is used for food

The fruit can be eaten whole including seeds. Or the seeds can be sieved out and the flesh eaten. The terminal bud is eaten. The inner part of the young rhizome is eaten. It is finely cut and cooked with pork and rice.

Edible parts

Young shoots, fruit, seeds

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds or suckers.

Its other names

Local names

Geand klutuk, Pisang batu, Pisang bidji, Pisang Klutuk, Tjau batu, Tjau klutuk

Synonyms

Musa brachycarpa Backer;