Family: Musaceae
Author: L.
Bibliography: Sp. Pl.: 1043 (1753)
Year: 1753
Status: accepted
Rank: hybrid
Genus: Musa
Vegetable: False
Observations: Malesia
Description
The plantain, scientifically known as Musa × paradisiaca, is a significant member of the Musaceae family. This remarkable plant, purportedly given its classification in Carl Linnaeus’s iconic work “Species Plantarum” published in 1753, is a staple in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, particularly noted in Malesia.
Plantains distinguish themselves from bananas by their higher starch content and their versatility in culinary applications. Unlike sweet bananas, plantains are usually consumed cooked rather than raw, and they play a central role in many cuisines, especially in Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, and parts of Southeast Asia.
The plantain plant, like other members of the Musaceae family, features large, elongated leaves which can span several feet in length, creating an impressive and recognizable foliage display. The pseudostem, composed of tightly packed leaf bases, supports the substantial fruit clusters that emerge after several months of growth. These fruits, initially green, transition to yellow or even black as they ripen, with the texture and flavor profiles changing accordingly.
Culinary uses of the plantain vary widely depending on its ripeness. Green plantains are starchy and firm, making them ideal for frying into chips or tostones, or for being mashed in dishes such as mofongo. As they ripen and turn yellow, they develop a slightly sweet flavor, making them suitable for recipes like maduros, which are fried ripe plantains, or boiled and added to stews. Further ripening, signaled by a dark, almost black peel, results in even softer and sweeter fruit, perfect for desserts or sweet snacks.
In addition to their culinary uses, plantains are noted for their nutritional benefits. They are rich in complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium. This nutritional profile makes them not only a versatile ingredient but also a valuable component of a balanced diet.
Understanding the agricultural aspects of plantain cultivation can further enhance appreciation for this plant. Plantains thrive in warm, humid climates with significant rainfall, conditions which are abundantly met in Malesia—a region that includes countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Cultivating plantains includes attention to soil fertility and pest management to ensure healthy growth and fruit production.
In conclusion, Musa × paradisiaca, or the plantain, is much more than just a relative of the banana. It is a vital food source for millions, a culinary delight with diverse applications, and a plant with significant agricultural merits. The plantain’s versatility, nutritional value, and cultural importance underscore its esteemed place in the plant kingdom and human society.
Common Names
En: Plantain, French plantain, Dessertbanane, Banana, Plantain banana
Ak: Brɔdeɛ
Ar: موز فردوسي
Eu: Bananondo
Bn: কাঁচ কলা
Bg: Райски банан
Zh: 小果野蕉杂交野蕉
Da: Bananplante
Nl: Bakbanaan
Fr: Banane plantain, Bananier
Ff: Ayabaaje
Gl: Bananeira
De: Dessertbanane, Banane, Ess-Banane, Mehlbanane
Gn: Pakova
Ht: Bannann miske
Ha: Agada
Hu: Banán
Ko: 바나나
Pl: Banan zwyczajny
Pt: Banana, Bananeira
Qu: Puquchi
Ru: Банан райский
Es: Banano
Ty: Te meià
Zh-tw: 香蕉
To: Fusi
Synonyms
- Musa × pallida (Nakai)
- Musa × sapientum var. sarocsoc (Quisumb.)
- Musa × sapientum var. pelipia (Quisumb.)
- Musa × emasculata (De Briey ex De Wild.)
- Musa × sapientum var. flabellata (Quisumb.)
- Musa × sapientum var. padilat (Quisumb.)
- Musa × sapientum var. putian (Quisumb.)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. cinerea (Blanco)
- Musa × acutibracteata (M.Hotta)
- Musa × sapientum var. daryao (N.G.Teodoro)
- Musa × nigra (Perr.)
- Musa × sapientum var. pamotion (Quisumb.)
- Musa × paradisiaca f. seluka (De Briey ex De Wild.)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. glauca (Blanco)
- Musa × corniculata (Lour.)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. maxima (Blanco)
- Musa × decrescens var. viridis (De Briey ex De Wild.)
- Musa × sapientum var. binutig (N.G.Teodoro)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. mensaria (G.Forst.)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. odorata ((Lour.) K.Schum.)
- Musa × sapientum var. canaya (Quisumb.)
- Musa × emasculata var. kiala (De Briey ex De Wild.)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. corniculata (G.Forst.)
- Musa × chiliocarpa (Backer ex K.Heyne)
- Musa × sapientum var. dool (Quisumb.)
- Musa × megalocarpa (Nakai)
- Musa × sapientum var. rubra (Firminger ex Baker)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. exsicca (G.Forst.)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. violacea ((Baker) K.Schum.)
- Musa × sapientum var. fieleto (De Briey ex De Wild.)
- Musa × sapientum var. longa ((Blanco) N.G.Teodoro)
- Musa × protractorachis (De Wild.)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. champa ((Baker) K.Schum.)
- Musa × sapientum var. tombak ((Blanco) N.G.Teodoro)
- Musa × sapientum var. compressa ((Blanco) N.G.Teodoro)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. lacatan (Blanco)
- Musa × paradisiaca f. tuba (De Briey ex De Wild.)
- Musa × sapientum var. mensaria (Baker)
- Musa × sapientum var. dacca ((Horan.) Baker)
- Musa × sapientum var. tuldoc (N.G.Teodoro)
- Musa × paradisiaca subsp. normalis (Kuntze)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. bilul (De Briey ex De Wild.)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. ternatensis (Blanco)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. suaveolens (Blanco)
- Musa × discolor (Planch.)
- Musa × paradisiaca f. funu-nua (De Briey ex De Wild.)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. regia (G.Forst.)
- Musa × emasculata var. kimbende (De Briey ex De Wild.)
- Musa × sapidisiaca (K.C.Jacob)
- Musa × sapientum var. canara (N.G.Teodoro)
- Musa × corbieri (A.Chev.)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. dacca ((Horan.) K.Schum.)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. tetragona (G.Forst.)
- Musa × sapientum var. sision (Quisumb.)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. purpurascens (G.Forst.)
- Musa × berteroi (Colla)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. acicularis (G.Forst.)
- Musa × sapientum var. eda (Quisumb.)
- Musa × mirabilis (Nakai)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. sanguinea ((Welw. ex Baker) K.Schum.)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. glaberrima (Blanco)
- Musa × sapientum var. angao (Quisumb.)
- Musa × sapientum var. suaveolens ((Blanco) N.G.Teodoro)
- Musa × sapientum var. galatayan (Quisumb.)
- Musa × prematura (Nakai)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. kitebbe (De Briey ex De Wild.)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. longa (Blanco)
- Musa × sapientum var. regia ((G.Forst.) Baker)
- Musa × sapientum var. tudlong (N.G.Teodoro)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. compressa (Blanco)
- Musa × sapientum var. martabarica (Baker)
- Musa × chapara (Perr.)
- Musa × sapientum var. kinamay (Quisumb.)
- Musa × dulcissima (Nakai)
- Musa × oleracea (Vieill.)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. ulnaris (Blanco)
- Musa × sapientum var. odorata ((Lour.) Baker)
- Musa × sapientum var. humilis (Merr.)
- Musa × bidigitalis (De Wild.)
- Musa × paradisiaca f. kilola (De Briey ex De Wild.)
- Musa × sapientum var. americana (N.G.Teodoro)
- Musa × sapientum var. glaberrima ((Blanco) N.G.Teodoro)
- Karkandela × malabarica (Raf.)
- Musa × jaheri (Nakai)
- Musa × consociata (Nakai)
- Musa × sapientum var. paradisiaca ((L.) Baker)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. martabarica ((Baker) K.Schum.)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. tombak (Blanco)
- Musa × sapientum var. garangao (N.G.Teodoro)
- Musa × ingrata (Nakai)
- Musa × emasculata var. zengani (De Briey ex De Wild.)
- Musa × emasculata var. lomba (De Briey ex De Wild.)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. rubra ((Firminger ex Baker) K.Schum.)
- Musa × sapientum var. sanguinea (Welw. ex Baker)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. oleracea ((Vieill.) K.Schum.)
- Musa × sapientum var. cubensis (N.G.Teodoro)
- Musa × alphurica (Miq.)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. fatua (G.Forst.)
- Musa × sapientum var. ternatensis ((Blanco) N.G.Teodoro)
- Musa × sapientum var. baca (Quisumb.)
- Musa × sapientum var. lacatan ((Blanco) N.G.Teodoro)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. punctata (G.Forst.)
- Musa × purpureotomentosa (De Wild.)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. coriacea (G.Forst.)
- Musa × champa (Baker)
- Musa × sapientum var. champa ((Baker) Baker)
- Musa × decrescens var. pembuki (De Briey ex De Wild.)
- Musa balbisiana var. vittata ((G.W.Ackermann ex Rodigas) M.R.Almeida)
- Musa × sapientum var. grandis (N.G.Teodoro)
- Musa × humilis (Perr.)
- Musa × aphurica (Rumph. ex Sagot)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. vittata ((G.W.Ackermann ex Rodigas) K.Schum.)
- Musa × odorata (Lour.)
- Musa × decrescens (De Briey ex De Wild.)
- Musa × sapientum var. violacea ((Blanco) N.G.Teodoro)
- Musa × arakanensis (F.W.Ripley ex Blechynden)
- Musa × polycarpa (Nakai)
- Musa × sapientum var. dinalaga (Quisumb.)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. magna (Blanco)
- Musa × paradisiaca f. dongila (De Briey ex De Wild.)
- Musa × trichocarpa (Nakai)
- Musa × dacca (Horan.)
- Musa × bacoba (Rottb.)
- Musa × sapientum var. dubia ((King) A.M.Cowan & Cowan)
- Musa × sapientum var. glauca ((Blanco) N.G.Teodoro)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. viridis (De Briey ex De Wild.)
- Musa × paradisiaca subsp. sapientum ((L.) Kuntze)
- Musa × sapientum var. raines (Quisumb.)
- Musa × sapientum var. inarnibal (N.G.Teodoro)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. papillosa (G.Forst.)
- Musa × sapientum var. principe (Quisumb.)
- Musa × sapientum (L.)
- Musa × mensaria (Moench)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. coarctata (G.Forst.)
- Musa × vittata (G.W.Ackermann ex Rodigas)
- Musa × sapientum f. dubia (King)
- Musa × maculata (Jacq.)
- Musa × sapientum var. satama (De Briey ex De Wild.)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. bende (De Briey ex De Wild.)
- Musa × carolinae (Sterler)
- Musa × decrescens var. rubromaculata (De Briey ex De Wild.)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. subrubea (Blanco)
- Musa × sapientum var. cinerea ((Blanco) N.G.Teodoro)
- Musa × sapientum var. vittata ((G.W.Ackermann ex Rodigas) Hook.f.)
- Musa × paradisiaca var. lunaris (G.Forst.)
- Musa × sapientum var. oleracea (Baker)
- Musa × sapientum subsp. paradisiaca ((L.) Baker)
Distribution
- Malaya (native)
- Philippines (native)
- Alabama (introduced)
- Andaman Is. (introduced)
- Ascension (introduced)
- Assam (introduced)
- Bangladesh (introduced)
- Borneo (introduced)
- Burkina (introduced)
- Caroline Is. (introduced)
- Central African Repu (introduced)
- Chad (introduced)
- Chagos Archipelago (introduced)
- China South-Central (introduced)
- China Southeast (introduced)
- Comoros (introduced)
- Cook Is. (introduced)
- Costa Rica (introduced)
- Ecuador (introduced)
- Fiji (introduced)
- Florida (introduced)
- Gambia (introduced)
- Guinea (introduced)
- Guinea-Bissau (introduced)
- Gulf of Guinea Is. (introduced)
- Hainan (introduced)
- Hawaii (introduced)
- Honduras (introduced)
- India (introduced)
- Jawa (introduced)
- Kenya (introduced)
- Leeward Is. (introduced)
- Lesser Sunda Is. (introduced)
- Line Is. (introduced)
- Madagascar (introduced)
- Maldives (introduced)
- Marquesas (introduced)
- Mauritius (introduced)
- Mexico Central (introduced)
- Mexico Southeast (introduced)
- Nauru (introduced)
- New Caledonia (introduced)
- New Guinea (introduced)
- Nicaragua (introduced)
- Nicobar Is. (introduced)
- Niue (introduced)
- Puerto Rico (introduced)
- Réunion (introduced)
- Samoa (introduced)
- Santa Cruz Is. (introduced)
- Society Is. (introduced)
- South China Sea (introduced)
- Taiwan (introduced)
- Tanzania (introduced)
- Thailand (introduced)
- Tokelau-Manihiki (introduced)
- Tonga (introduced)
- Trinidad-Tobago (introduced)
- Tuamotu (introduced)
- Tuvalu (introduced)
- Vietnam (introduced)
- West Himalaya (introduced)
Additional Images
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Flower
Taken Aug 2, 2020 by Marc Horisberger (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 31, 2021 by sergio cipro (cc-by-sa)
Taken Mar 12, 2020 by Tereza Bajerova (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 21, 2019 by Edoardo Vincenti (cc-by-sa)
Taken Dec 4, 2021 by Cauã Anacleto (cc-by-sa)
Fruit
Taken Sep 10, 2020 by Alain Bigou (cc-by-sa)
Taken Mar 20, 2021 by subrata das (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 5, 2021 by Alisa Chepyzhenko art Chepyzhenko (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 12, 2021 by steven vogel (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 25, 2019 by vinod vinod (cc-by-sa)
Habit
Taken Nov 18, 2022 by Guépard14 (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 29, 2022 by Rogerio Ribeiro (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 21, 2020 by grutz (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 10, 2020 by Alain Bigou (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 25, 2019 by ftrynrzzh ftrynrzzh (cc-by-sa)
Leaf
Taken Jan 21, 2022 by Gerardo Antonio Chaustre Agüero (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 9, 2022 by Anika Anthonipillai (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 14, 2022 by antonia maier (cc-by-sa)
Taken Feb 23, 2022 by William Coville (cc-by-sa)
Taken Dec 17, 2021 by carlos alberto silva lopes (cc-by-sa)
Bark
Taken Nov 27, 2020 by Shehadi Ramiz (cc-by-sa)
Taken Dec 17, 2020 by Monteiro Henrique (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 12, 2021 by Alexandra Norrsken (cc-by-sa)
Taken Mar 9, 2021 by garcia miguel (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 16, 2021 by Muhammad Ma’ruf R (cc-by-sa)
Other
Taken Nov 29, 2020 by Vieira do Nascimento Paulo (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 14, 2022 by Dr Sandeep Kumar Yadav (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 31, 2018 by Canisia The 3rd (cc-by-sa)
Sources
- WFO (No URL)
- IPNI (No URL)
- POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:797595-1)
- PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Musa × paradisiaca L.)
- GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/2762752)
Specifications
Growth
