Maggidew

So far I have seen the terms 'mat' and 'hand'. I think I have them figured out. Is there a thread or some other part of the site that lists terms that are specific to bananas?

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MediaHound

Surely!

Check out the banana diagrams category in the gallery:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=593
Remember when you click to see a photo, if you click the photo one more time it will probably blow up even larger.
Searching the word in the wiki is a good idea too, sometimes you will find great info there as well:
http://www.bananas.org/wiki

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MediaHound

Well I just went through them and actually didnt see one that describes the bunch hands, fingers, raceme, bud, bracts, etc very well. There's some that are close but dont detail these things as good as I thought.
Also the mat, none mention that either, but thats basically the entire stand of pseudostems that all are emerging from one central corm. Undivided plants that are all attached under the soil by a central mother corm. Two plants dug up and planted side by side would form two different mats.

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Maggidew

Thank you!

OK, thanks for making 'mat' more clear, I understand that now.

Does hand = bunch (the thing I buy at grocery store)? Edited to add I am reading in Wiki now, and now know it's referred to as a 'tier' (?)

Is a 'finger' one fruit?

Also, why do some blossom structures stand straight up while others droop? When Ken's big plant started to show it's blossom and it was drooping I was worried that it was wilted or something because most of the photos I had seen up to that point showed the bloom standing straight up. Does this have to do with the species or type of banana it is?

I don't mean to sound totally clueless here, but I guess in fact I am totally clueless here - LOL

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MediaHound

The bud droops but the fingers usually point upwards when its hanging from the plant.

The thing you buy at the store are fingers attached in a hand.

The bunch is all the hands together, the entire thing that hangs from the plant. The bud emerges pointing up but quickly falls to one side.

Bunch > Hand > Finger

Check out Gabe's time lapse video of the bud opening up the bracts to show the female flowers and the fruits
Time lapse infloresence video

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MediaHound

These bunches are hanging upside down to ripen, for example:

Notice the direction they are pointing. Thats why I say they point "up" when on the plant.

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Maggidew

Thank you!

Now, how about 'sword sucker'? I saw that term used for pups offered in trade?

And how about primary pup and secondary pup? Huh? They are assigned rank? Is the primary pup the first one up?

Oh, youse guys don't know how many (possibly stupid) questions I can come up with!

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MediaHound

I personally dont call them primary or secondary but it makes sense..

As for the difference between sword pups (or suckers..) and umbrella pups (or suckers, whatever you want to call them), check these threads, some are old but good:
Different looking pups
Sword pup growth
Sword Suckers vs. Water Suckers

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momoese

Here is a side by side shot of a sword pup and a leaf/water pup. These are Hawaiian Apples growing from the same mother's corm.

Maggidew

COOL! Going there now (on slow dialup) LOL

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