''Musa velutina'', the hairy banana or pink banana, is a

diploid Ploidy () is the number of complete sets of chromosomes in a cell, and hence the number of possible alleles for autosomal and pseudoautosomal genes. Here ''sets of chromosomes'' refers to the number of maternal and paternal chromosome copies, ...

species of wild

banana A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large treelike herbaceous flowering plants in the genus '' Musa''. In some countries, cooking bananas are called plantains, distinguishing the ...

. These plants are originally from Assam and the eastern Himalayas. The fruits are long, pink, and fuzzy. They are borne on erect flower stalks with a pink

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

. ''Musa velutina'' flowers at a young age, doing so within a year. The fruits peel back when ripe. It is often grown as an ornamental plant, but has soft, sweet flesh that can be eaten. The seeds are quite tough and can chip a tooth. To sow, first soak the seeds in warm water for 24 hours. They should be planted in fine

compost Compost is a mixture of ingredients used as plant fertilizer and to improve soil's physical, chemical, and biological properties. It is commonly prepared by Decomposition, decomposing plant and food waste, recycling organic materials, and man ...

and kept at a constant temperature of with full natural light. They take up to around 6 months to germinate. Plants may be placed outside during warmer months but should be taken into a conservatory or greenhouse or given other protection in winter. ''Musa velutina'' has received the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. It includes the full range of cultivated p ...

Gallery

Musa velutina2.jpg, Purple banana dsc00195.jpg, Musa velutina seeds, by Omar Hoftun.jpg, Seeds

References

velutina {{Zingiberales-stub