Orphan id please

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

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.

MediaHound · 11-30-2008, 09:25 AM

Well... Crocodile Fingers is also aka Ebun Musak
Musa Ebun Musak - Bananas Wiki
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!

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

Quote:

Originally Posted by MediaHound

Well... Crocodile Fingers is also aka Ebun Musak
Musa Ebun Musak - Bananas Wiki
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....

On the other hand if its a snow bank, it would probably be 'naner popsicles

Sorry Jack, can't help rubbin it in

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!

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...

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!

11-14-2008, 10:56 AM	#1 (permalink)
island cassie island cassie's Photo Gallery Location: Dominican Republic Find me on the map! Zone: 11+ I guess Name: Island Cassie Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 3,170 BananaBucks : 375,836 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,708 Times Was Thanked 2,079 Times in 874 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 416 Times	Orphan id please 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.

11-14-2008, 11:07 AM	#2 (permalink)
island cassie island cassie's Photo Gallery Location: Dominican Republic Find me on the map! Zone: 11+ I guess Name: Island Cassie Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 3,170 BananaBucks : 375,836 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,708 Times Was Thanked 2,079 Times in 874 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 416 Times	Re: Orphan id please 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.

11-30-2008, 02:39 AM	#3 (permalink)
island cassie island cassie's Photo Gallery Location: Dominican Republic Find me on the map! Zone: 11+ I guess Name: Island Cassie Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 3,170 BananaBucks : 375,836 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,708 Times Was Thanked 2,079 Times in 874 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 416 Times	Re: Orphan id please 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?

11-30-2008, 04:37 AM	#4 (permalink)
Tog Tan Ensete nut Tog Tan's Photo Gallery Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Name: Tog Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 1,757 BananaBucks : 431,424 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,011 Times Was Thanked 2,723 Times in 787 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 204 Times	Re: Orphan id please 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. __________________ ____ Tog Tan has sadly suddenly passed away 6/16/09. We will miss you Tog Tan.

11-30-2008, 09:25 AM	#5 (permalink)
MediaHound Tally-Man MediaHound's Photo Gallery Location: Florida Find me on the map! Zone: 10 Name: Jarred Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 5,260 BananaBucks : 1,990,278 Feedback: 66 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,855 Times Was Thanked 5,078 Times in 1,352 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 2,086 Times	Re: Orphan id please Well... Crocodile Fingers is also aka Ebun Musak Musa Ebun Musak - Bananas Wiki 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! __________________ Apologies in advance if I am slow to reply to your PM. I suggest posting in the forums for support if you need something urgent.

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11-30-2008, 10:03 AM	#6 (permalink)
island cassie island cassie's Photo Gallery Location: Dominican Republic Find me on the map! Zone: 11+ I guess Name: Island Cassie Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 3,170 BananaBucks : 375,836 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,708 Times Was Thanked 2,079 Times in 874 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 416 Times	Re: Orphan id please 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.

11-30-2008, 10:47 AM	#7 (permalink)
Tog Tan Ensete nut Tog Tan's Photo Gallery Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Name: Tog Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 1,757 BananaBucks : 431,424 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,011 Times Was Thanked 2,723 Times in 787 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 204 Times	Re: Orphan id please 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! __________________ ____ Tog Tan has sadly suddenly passed away 6/16/09. We will miss you Tog Tan.

11-30-2008, 12:04 PM	#8 (permalink)
island cassie island cassie's Photo Gallery Location: Dominican Republic Find me on the map! Zone: 11+ I guess Name: Island Cassie Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 3,170 BananaBucks : 375,836 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,708 Times Was Thanked 2,079 Times in 874 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 416 Times	Re: Orphan id please Well - if it turns out to be one of these beauties, it just shows you should never pass by a nana in need! haha!

11-30-2008, 01:02 PM	#10 (permalink)
island cassie island cassie's Photo Gallery Location: Dominican Republic Find me on the map! Zone: 11+ I guess Name: Island Cassie Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 3,170 BananaBucks : 375,836 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,708 Times Was Thanked 2,079 Times in 874 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 416 Times	Re: Orphan id please Sorry to hear that they are no more, and thanks for the tip - I will ask Jon.

11-30-2008, 07:12 PM	#11 (permalink)
Chironex The causasian Asian! Chironex's Photo Gallery Location: Jakarta, Indonesia Find me on the map! Zone: I have no idea Name: Scot Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 2,788 BananaBucks : 118,405 Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Thanks" 4,544 Times Was Thanked 1,406 Times in 808 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 609 Times	Re: Orphan id please 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. __________________ Scot Last edited by Chironex : 11-30-2008 at 08:51 PM.

11-30-2008, 11:08 PM	#12 (permalink)
island cassie island cassie's Photo Gallery Location: Dominican Republic Find me on the map! Zone: 11+ I guess Name: Island Cassie Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 3,170 BananaBucks : 375,836 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,708 Times Was Thanked 2,079 Times in 874 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 416 Times	Re: Orphan id please 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.

12-01-2008, 02:40 AM	#13 (permalink)
Gabe15 Moderator Gabe15's Photo Gallery Location: Oahu, Hawaii Find me on the map! Zone: 12 Name: Gabe Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 3,892 BananaBucks : 13,339,749 Feedback: 5 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1 Times Was Thanked 8,237 Times in 2,200 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 8 Times	Re: Orphan id please There are many varieties of plantain, yours is a type of French Plantain, and some do curve. __________________ Growing bananas in Colorado, Washington, Hawaii since 2004. Commercial banana farmer, 200+ varieties.

12-01-2008, 09:38 PM	#14 (permalink)
island cassie island cassie's Photo Gallery Location: Dominican Republic Find me on the map! Zone: 11+ I guess Name: Island Cassie Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 3,170 BananaBucks : 375,836 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,708 Times Was Thanked 2,079 Times in 874 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 416 Times	Re: Orphan id please 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!!

12-31-2008, 05:04 PM	#15 (permalink)
jack hagenaars jack hagenaars's Photo Gallery Location: Victoria,British Columbia Find me on the map! Zone: 8 a/b Name: Jack Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 236 BananaBucks : 50,075 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 3 Times Was Thanked 137 Times in 83 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 7 Times	Re: Orphan id please I wonder if I will get a banana floating down some snow bank.....

01-03-2009, 04:05 PM	#16 (permalink)
island cassie island cassie's Photo Gallery Location: Dominican Republic Find me on the map! Zone: 11+ I guess Name: Island Cassie Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 3,170 BananaBucks : 375,836 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,708 Times Was Thanked 2,079 Times in 874 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 416 Times	Re: Orphan id please Haha! You can but wish.....

01-03-2009, 04:33 PM	#17 (permalink)
Tog Tan Ensete nut Tog Tan's Photo Gallery Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Name: Tog Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 1,757 BananaBucks : 431,424 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,011 Times Was Thanked 2,723 Times in 787 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 204 Times	Re: Orphan id please Hey Cassie, it's New Year, give the man some hope.... On the other hand if its a snow bank, it would probably be 'naner popsicles Sorry Jack, can't help rubbin it in __________________ ____ Tog Tan has sadly suddenly passed away 6/16/09. We will miss you Tog Tan.

01-06-2009, 10:59 PM	#18 (permalink)
island cassie island cassie's Photo Gallery Location: Dominican Republic Find me on the map! Zone: 11+ I guess Name: Island Cassie Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 3,170 BananaBucks : 375,836 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,708 Times Was Thanked 2,079 Times in 874 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 416 Times	Re: Orphan id please Tog - I have been trying to think of a funny reply - but I can't top yours!

01-07-2009, 04:48 AM	#19 (permalink)
Tog Tan Ensete nut Tog Tan's Photo Gallery Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Name: Tog Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 1,757 BananaBucks : 431,424 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,011 Times Was Thanked 2,723 Times in 787 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 204 Times	Re: Orphan id please So Cassie, what the dickens is your mystery 'naner? I am sure you scoffed it off already. Please tell... __________________ ____ Tog Tan has sadly suddenly passed away 6/16/09. We will miss you Tog Tan.

01-07-2009, 08:43 AM	#20 (permalink)
island cassie island cassie's Photo Gallery Location: Dominican Republic Find me on the map! Zone: 11+ I guess Name: Island Cassie Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 3,170 BananaBucks : 375,836 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,708 Times Was Thanked 2,079 Times in 874 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 416 Times	Re: Orphan id please 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!

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