Musa laterita
Dwarf Banana
One small banana species from Northeastern India and Burma of the section Rhodochlamys. It flowers already from the height of 0.90 to 1.50 metres. The leaves are topping gradually to the petioles. The erect inflorescence is covered by brick red bracts, which are yellow at the tops. The female flowers develop at first. The self-pollinating is not possible, because the male flowers will release pollen then when the female flowers are not receptive to be fertilized anymore. The fruits are yellow, more or less inedible, they contain many black seeds.
Musa laterita does not forms tufts of rhizomes like the most Musaa species, but running rhizomes, at the tops of the runners are pups forming unlike the most Musaa species. The species is more suitable for conversatories and greenhouses or larger gardens where the long rhizomes do have more space in the ground.
Sometimes on the market it is offered under the names
Musa ornata‚ Musa ornata ‚Bronce’
or ‚Red Salmon’.
Inflorescence of
Musa laterita,
pic source: Balmayne, USA
Young plant of Musa
laterita in January 2013 in the special garden.
Created by Joachim Jaeck on
October 5th, 2013