View Full Version : Which bananas produce the biggest p-stem?
guerich
08-10-2009, 11:42 AM
Once in Costa Rica I saw few plants that had p-stems that were close to two and a half feet wide. I was wondering if anyone knew which plants typically have the widest?:0517:
lorax
08-10-2009, 11:44 AM
I'd say the honours likely go to the Ensetes, and not the Musas at all. I've seen E. ventricosum with pstem widths close to 5 feet.
CValentine
08-10-2009, 12:23 PM
DANG!!! :p ~Cheryl
pitangadiego
08-10-2009, 01:17 PM
Saba, Sweetheart, Belle maybe get to 15-18" diameter. Nothing bigger in my collection.
Richard
08-10-2009, 02:24 PM
There's a photo somewhere on this site of a Saba growing in the tropics with base almost a meter wide -- but that's the tropics. In the subtropics, I believe that kind of width is unheard of.
Rmplmnz
08-10-2009, 04:55 PM
If you are looking for Musa (as opposed to Ensete) Saba would be a good start..these were around 5' in circumference...
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=2867&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=2867)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=5167&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=5167)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=5169&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=5169)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=2855&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=2855)
Saba Album
Banana Gallery - Sabas (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=571)
kaczercat
08-10-2009, 06:41 PM
Now those are some great pics !!! , I mean you could hide like 2 people behind those. :D un believable how big they are .
adrift
08-10-2009, 07:15 PM
If you are looking for Musa (as opposed to Ensete) Saba would be a good start..these were around 5' in circumference...
OMG
My H.O.A. would have a fit if I tried growing one of them.
<Evil thoughts dancing in head>
Rmplmnz
08-10-2009, 08:19 PM
Now those are some great pics !!! , I mean you could hide like 2 people behind those. :D un believable how big they are .
56" In Circumference...(Thanks Randy!!)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=2036&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=2036&si=circumference&what=allfields)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=2035&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=2035)
Randy4ut
08-10-2009, 08:41 PM
I knew Chris would show how big a Saba can be!!! BTW, Chris, in the last photo, didn't you mean 56" in circumference and not diameter!? Okay, I have seen some LARGE Kandarians before. Does anyone have some pics as to how big around they can be? I saw some at the Bamboo Gardens in Savannah last spring and they were HUGE!!!! Would love to see a pic or two of them...
Rmplmnz
08-10-2009, 08:50 PM
I knew Chris would show how big a Saba can be!!! BTW, Chris, in the last photo, didn't you mean 56" in circumference and not diameter!? Okay, I have seen some LARGE Kandarians before. Does anyone have some pics as to how big around they can be? I saw some at the Bamboo Gardens in Savannah last spring and they were HUGE!!!! Would love to see a pic or two of them...
Thanks Randy...you have Saba or two yourself!
Would luv to see the Kandarians pics as well.
Gabe posted some massive Fei pics...
Musa 'Aiuri', fe'i banana - Bananas.org (http://www.bananas.org/f2/musa-aiuri-fei-banana-7965-new-post.html)
Velutina
08-11-2009, 12:07 AM
Rmplmnz, Those plants are incredible!! How do you care for them? Any soil amendments? Fertilizer? Probably the most impressive banana plants i've ever seen!
I have a saba i'll be planting outside as soon as it cools down a bit here. I'm sure it won't get anywhere near that size in the desert though :(
Rmplmnz
08-11-2009, 06:56 AM
Rmplmnz, Those plants are incredible!! How do you care for them? Any soil amendments? Fertilizer? Probably the most impressive banana plants i've ever seen!
I have a saba i'll be planting outside as soon as it cools down a bit here. I'm sure it won't get anywhere near that size in the desert though :(
Thanks Adam,
Purely organic; horse manure and mulch, I do not add any inorganic fertilizer. I do not even water them. Good organic rich soil is key.
Good luck,
Chris
damaclese
08-11-2009, 08:18 AM
i don't mean to contradict any one but with out a doubt the largest P-stem goes to the Musa Ingens
"The undisputed King of the Musa family, this magnificent, wild species grows to a staggering 16 meters in height and literally towers over parts of the surrounding Nothofagus forest. It has been found growing on the edges of the highland Kau swamps at elevations of 2000 meters. This is the largest herb in the world. Pseudostems growing 2 meters or more in circumference, sparsely suckering, its leaves can reach a mature size of 5 meters long and 1 meter wide with pedicles growing to a length of 60 cm. The inflorescence is white with peduncle approximately 10 cm wide. Ingens has a heavily-fruiting raceme of 20 or more hands - each with approximately 16 to 25 fingers per hand. This plant requires a fairly drastic fluctuation of day to night temps of 30 degrees or more in order to thrive. It prefers cooler evenings.
here is a link to a picture sorry there vare rare and had to phtograph
http://contribute.chron.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/9/11/79d378aa-868b-4447-9b9e-2cef1f57b666.Full.jpg
harveyc
08-11-2009, 09:31 AM
Pauly, if I had read that cool evening stuff when Scot had his auction, I might have bought a plant from him. We were about 99F yesterday and down to about 61F last night. It would be good to have a banana that appreciated my fluctuating temperatures, though the winds would probably turn the tall thing into a mess.
Rmplmnz
08-11-2009, 09:46 AM
[QUOTE=damaclese;90363]i don't mean to contradict any one but with out a doubt the largest P-stem goes to the Musa Ingens
No contradiction perceived; just positive comments about other species. No doubt in ideal/native climates plants reach their full potential. Unfortunately I can not duplicate the Musa Ingens climate. The primary reason I grow Sabas is because they are my personal favorite to eat (tostones, boiled, fried ripe, eaten out of hand; etc.,) and are so versatile. Another favorite is Hua Moa.
Anyway it would be nice to see some photos of large Ingens growing within IBS member gardens. Interesting how the leaves grow upright like the Fei and Pisang Jari Buaya (a conversation we were having on another thread). Thanks for the post!
[QUOTE=damaclese;90363]"The undisputed King of the Musa family, this magnificent, wild species grows to a staggering 16 meters in height and literally towers over parts of the surrounding Nothofagus forest. It has been found growing on the edges of the highland Kau swamps at elevations of 2000 meters. This is the largest herb in the world. Pseudostems growing 2 meters or more in circumference, sparsely suckering, its leaves can reach a mature size of 5 meters long and 1 meter wide with pedicles growing to a length of 60 cm.
guerich
08-11-2009, 09:55 AM
Amazing photos. I guess I'll start looking for some cow pies to take home.
damaclese
08-11-2009, 09:59 AM
not to brag and i know I'm not the only one but i have 30 Ingentamusa Ingens seeds in pots there have been in sins 12-24-08 and 2-29-09 i don't think they are going to grow but I'm siting back and taking all see att. about it thees seeds were vary fresh having been just 7 days old when i got them after looking inside all say that most Ingens seeds are not viable hence the rarity of the plant in the wild the vast magority have no embros or are contaminated with fugi
Randy4ut
08-11-2009, 10:12 AM
not to brag and i know I'm not the only one but i have 30 Ingentamusa Ingens seeds in pots there have been in sins 12-24-08 and 2-29-09 i don't think they are going to grow but I'm siting back and taking all see att. about it thees seeds were vary fresh having been just 7 days old when i got them after looking inside all say that most Ingens seeds are not viable hence the rarity of the plant in the wild the vast magority have no embros or are contaminated with fugi
Sounds like you have done everything right with your seeds!!!! Hope they do well for ya... If they do and you have extras, put me on the list for one!!! Be interesting to see how they do for you and what they look like...
damaclese
08-11-2009, 12:54 PM
Sounds like you have done everything right with your seeds!!!! Hope they do well for ya... If they do and you have extras, put me on the list for one!!! Be interesting to see how they do for you and what they look like...
I will but i wouldn't hold your breath so far out of 150 seeds all fresh at the time of planting 0 have germinated and we even did an embryo rescue on 10 of them not one grew invetro out of those 10 6 were contaminated with fungi within 3 days Scot did the chemicals so i cant tell you what he was using but i think it was gibarilic acid we even added activated charcoal to 3 of the rescue chambers
My next plan of attack is to get 1000 seeds and I'm going to hire a Tc Lab to germinate them for me its the only way i can think of for success i don't have an atmospheric incubator which is what i need to set it up for perfect environment
Maybe Gabe would be interested but i doubt it as he is so busy thees days
LilRaverBoi
08-11-2009, 04:19 PM
What about the Ensete Superbum?
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=10969&size=1
Those have one of the fattest pseudostem I've seen.
damaclese
08-11-2009, 06:47 PM
What about the Ensete Superbum?
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=10969&size=1
Those have one of the fattest pseudostem I've seen.
Nope still smaler then the Ingens by a long shot trust me the Ingens is the largest Herb in the world
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