The plant species ''Musa ingens'', also known as the giant highland banana or Oem, is the physically largest member of the family
Musaceae
Musaceae is a family of flowering plants composed of three genera with about 91 known species, placed in the order Zingiberales. The family is native to the tropics of Africa and Asia. The plants have a large herbaceous growth habit with leaves w ...
and the only member of the section ''Ingentimusa''. Growing in the tropical
montane forests
Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial f ...
of
New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torr ...
-
Arfak Mountains Regency
Arfak Mountains Regency (''Kabupaten Pegunungan Arfak'') is a regency of the West Papua Province of Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oc ...
in
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
, its leaves can reach a length of and a width of 1 m (39 in). This, the largest herbaceous plant on earth, was completely unknown to science prior to 1960.
Description
The "trunk" (actually the tightly rolled
petioles (or stalks) of its leaves; the longest petioles of any known plant) is typically up to in height, and with the leaves having a total height of . Since its discovery in 1954, though, taller individuals up to have been reported, but these measurements have yet to be confirmed by a specific scientific study. Photos exist of ''M. ingens'' "trunks" up to in diameter at breast height. Its fruit grows in a cluster weighing up to 60 kg (132 lb). This cluster is borne on a
peduncle Peduncle may refer to:
*Peduncle (botany), a stalk supporting an inflorescence, which is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed
*Peduncle (anatomy), a stem, through which a mass of tissue is attached to a body
**Peduncle (art ...
up to 10 cm (4 in) thick and up to in length, again the longest of any known plant. The large inflorescence can hold over 300 oblong fruits to 18 cm long that are filled with blackish-brown seeds and yellowish pulp that is edible, sweet, and delicious when cooked, and according to some, reminiscent of fine butternut squash mixed with a sweet banana with a dash of tangy lime and citrus added.
References
External links
*
*http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~drc/musa_ingens.htm
"Musa Ingens - The Tallest Banana Plant in the World"{{Taxonbar, from=Q1313674
ingens
Endemic flora of New Guinea