Musa

Musa is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Musaceae, native to tropical Indomalaya and Australia. It is known for its commercially important fruit, the banana and plantain. The genus is named after Antonio Musa, physician to the Emperor Augustus.

Description

Musa plants are evergreen perennials, growing from a rhizome, with large leaves that are spirally arranged. The inflorescence grows horizontally or hangs down, with large female flowers at the base and male flowers at the tip.

Taxonomy

The genus Musa was first named by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. The name is in honor of Antonio Musa, a Roman physician and botanist of the 1st century BCE. There are about 70 species of Musa, with a broad variety of uses.

Distribution and habitat

Musa species are native to tropical Indomalaya and Australia, and are likely to have been first domesticated in Papua New Guinea. They are grown in at least 107 countries, primarily for their fruit, and to a lesser extent to make fiber, banana wine, and banana beer and as ornamental plants.

Uses

The fruit of Musa species is used in cooking, as a staple food, and for making wine and beer. The leaves and fibers can also be used to make textiles.

See also

• Banana
• Plantain
• Antonio Musa

References

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