Martha's exotic Backyard in Israel
Musa acuminata,Musa cavendishii, Musa chinensis, Musa zebrina,
Banana, موز ,Mawz ,מוז, בננה

Scientific name:		Musa acuminata Colla
Synonym name:		Musa cavendishii Lamb. ex Paxton, Musa chinensis Lamb. ex Paxton, Musa zebrina Van Houtte ex Planch.
Common name:		Edible banana, Banana
Hebrew name:		מוז, בננה
Arabic name:		موز, Mawz
Family:		Musaceae, מוזיים

Life form:		Biennial herbaceous plant
Stems:		6oo - 760 cm tall; stalks grow from the rhizome; pseudostem, a false stem made of the rolled bases of leaves; approximately 44 leaves will appear before the inflorescence
Leaves:		270 cm x 60 cm, Oblong, elliptic, spirally arranged
Inflorescence:		Terminal, one flower cluster; many bracts between rows of flowers; female flowers (which can develop into fruit) appear in rows further up the stem from the rows of male flowers
Flowers:		White flowers clustered in whorled double rows along a floral stalk, each cluster covered by a thick, waxy, hoodlike bract, purple outside, deep-red within
Fruits:		Young fruits, technically "berries", develop from the female flowers, into slender green fingers and turn to yellow
Origin:		Indo-Malaysian

Derivation of the botanical name: Musa, named after Antonius Musa (63 - 14BCE), a botanist and physician to Augustus (63 BCE - 14CE), the first Roman emperor. acuminata, acumino, to make pointed, to sharpen; tapering gradually to a point. cavendishii, named in honour of William Cavendish (1790 - 1858), 6th Duke of Devonshire, who acquired an early specimen, which he raised in his glasshouse. chinensis, Chinese. zebrina, Latin, zebra, striped. TheHebrew name: בננה, banana, from spanish. The standard author abbreviation Colla is used to indicate Luigi Aloysius Colla (1766 – 1848), an Italian botanist. The standard author abbreviation Lamb. is used to indicate Aylmer Bourke Lambert (1761 – 1842), a British botanist. The standard author abbreviation Paxton is used to indicate Joseph Paxton (1803 – 1865), an English gardener and architect, best known for designing The Crystal Palace. The standard author abbreviation Van Houtte is used to indicate Louis Benoit Van Houtte (1810 – 1876), a Belgian horticulturist. The standard author abbreviation Planch. is used to indicate Jules Émile Planchon (182 – 1888), a French botanist. After 2 years the plant produces fruit and then dies.They produce offsets to keep the lineage going.