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island cassie
11-14-2008, 10:56 AM
I have added pictures to an old thread in the Main Banana Discussion to try and identify the orphan banana I found floating in the lagoon. This plant has finally flowered and I tend to agree with my gardener that it will turn out to be a plantain - but if anyone knows otherwise I will be delighted to hear from them.

island cassie
11-14-2008, 11:07 AM
Having looked in the wiki - the only one that bears any resemblence is the giant plantain - thin fairly tall pstem, the fruit look as if they are going to be large and not many to the bunch - crying out for a support!! Only about half as tall as the Orinoco but a quarter as thick at the base.

island cassie
11-30-2008, 02:39 AM
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=14681&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=14681&ppuser=628)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=14680&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=14680&ppuser=628)

Well - here's a thing! They started off looking like I imagine plantains would - sticking out in all directions and very punk like - but now they are curling round very tightly and I have never seen a curly plantain. The plant is medium height and thin with the fruiting stalk emerging about 12ft above the ground. It must be something common to this area as it washed down the river. I have looked through all the banana identifying references I can find but nothing - any ideas?

Tog Tan
11-30-2008, 04:37 AM
Hey Cassie,
Are the fingers thinner than the normal 'naner fruit?
What we have here seem to suit the description of your 'X' 'naner and in English it's called Crocodile Finger Banana aka in Thai - Neu Cherekeh, Malay & Indon - Pisang Jari Buaya.
The fruits are thinner than normal and are curved. They have no commercial value cos of the size and number of fruits. People here grow them in the smaller towns for their personal consumption because it's tasty. This is not a plantain.
Maybe there is a cultivar in your place similar to this.
Currently I have 2 small plts which I just got from a friend. In fruit and stature, they seem like a seedless form of the Musa acuminata.:drum:

MediaHound
11-30-2008, 09:25 AM
Well... Crocodile Fingers is also aka Ebun Musak
Musa Ebun Musak - Bananas Wiki (http://www.bananas.org/wiki/Musa_Ebun_Musak)
HarveyC is listed there in the wiki as growing Ebun Musak, shoot him a message and ask him if its a look-a-like.
Cool pics btw!

island cassie
11-30-2008, 10:03 AM
Thanks Jarred and Tog _ have checked the wiki and the pics on the Encanto Farms site, and this doesn't really look like the wiki picture, but slightly like the Encanto Farms one, although the very thin fruit some of which are at least 8 or 9 inches long have curved a full semi-circle. But I will ask HarveyC to take a look - thanks for the idea. It also seems strange that something so exotic would have washed down the river - is it possible that the fruit will straighten out somewhat? Seems unlikely I know.

Tog Tan
11-30-2008, 10:47 AM
Hi Cassie,
The typical well formed fruits of the Crocodile Fingers are like a big letter 'C', they do not straighten out normally. Much like the clawed appendage of the croc. Sorry, I don't have a pix to show you.
Hey, God knows you take good care of your 'naners and loves ya so you get this exotic 'naner floating down the river as a reward! :ha:

island cassie
11-30-2008, 12:04 PM
Well - if it turns out to be one of these beauties, it just shows you should never pass by a nana in need! haha!

harveyc
11-30-2008, 12:58 PM
Well... Crocodile Fingers is also aka Ebun Musak
Musa Ebun Musak - Bananas Wiki (http://www.bananas.org/wiki/Musa_Ebun_Musak)
HarveyC is listed there in the wiki as growing Ebun Musak, shoot him a message and ask him if its a look-a-like.
Cool pics btw!

Unfortunately, mine died late last winter along with several others. (I changed my profile but see I forgot about doing the wiki edits.) I got mine from "pitangadiego" and hope to get another some day. Send Jon a note as he should have a good idea. Congrats on the fruit!

island cassie
11-30-2008, 01:02 PM
Sorry to hear that they are no more, and thanks for the tip - I will ask Jon.

Chironex
11-30-2008, 07:12 PM
My guess would be Tuu Gia (sp) they have a characteristic S-shaped finger. If the pstem is real dark, it resembles French Type Black Plantain fruit.

island cassie
11-30-2008, 11:08 PM
Thanks Scot - they are not s-shaped but curl into a c-shape. Very strange after being so straight and punk/wild to begin with. The pstem is a bit less chocolaty than a dc and is very thin for a plant of this size - fruiting at about 10ft. Not many fingers to a bunch and not many bunches before the male flowers which initially made me think it was a normal plantain - but then it started to curl and I have never seen a plantain locally that was curly in any aspect.

Gabe15
12-01-2008, 02:40 AM
There are many varieties of plantain, yours is a type of French Plantain, and some do curve.

island cassie
12-01-2008, 09:38 PM
Thanks Gabe - that makes sense here. Much as I would like it to be something exotic from Tog's part of the world - the chances of that being the case are very slim. Tostones here we come!!

jack hagenaars
12-31-2008, 05:04 PM
I wonder if I will get a banana floating down some snow bank.....

island cassie
01-03-2009, 04:05 PM
Haha! You can but wish.....

Tog Tan
01-03-2009, 04:33 PM
Hey Cassie, it's New Year, give the man some hope....:ha::ha::ha:
On the other hand if its a snow bank, it would probably be 'naner popsicles:ha:
Sorry Jack, can't help rubbin it in:0517:

island cassie
01-06-2009, 10:59 PM
Tog - I have been trying to think of a funny reply - but I can't top yours! :ha:

Tog Tan
01-07-2009, 04:48 AM
So Cassie, what the dickens is your mystery 'naner? I am sure you scoffed it off already. Please tell...:waving:

island cassie
01-07-2009, 08:43 AM
Tog - it has a couple of months to go yet as it only flowered on 12th November and the fruit are still skinny - so beginning/mid February we will start to cut some for tostones - or earlier if they look fat. I will go with a french plantain I think as the Dominicans eat them by the ton - just never seen one so curly before!

mskitty38583
01-07-2009, 10:07 AM
Hey Cassie, it's New Year, give the man some hope....:ha::ha::ha:
On the other hand if its a snow bank, it would probably be 'naner popsicles:ha::

if they are fozen (nana pops) dip them in chocolate and chopped nuts and youll really have a nana pop! so when you send one down the snow bank to them put a tag on one for me.....ummmmmm yummy!

island cassie
01-07-2009, 11:37 AM
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=15085&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=15085)

Here is how they are looking today - a while to go!

island cassie
01-07-2009, 11:38 AM
Sam - that is exactly what I thought - dipped in chocolate and nuts! mmmmh!

jack hagenaars
01-07-2009, 07:48 PM
Ok,ok..seeing that Tog named it..I guess it would have to be "naner posicle "'Toggii'....

Just a weather update: The snow has finally melted...and now we are getting torrential rains......I am supposed to be living in a temperate zone.....where is the global warming?

island cassie
01-07-2009, 08:43 PM
Jack - the weather in England is awful too - so you are not alone!!

jack hagenaars
01-08-2009, 04:43 PM
thanks cassie that helps....good for me...not so good for them......counting the days until spring!!!!(18 more days before Mexico.):woohoonaner: