Useful information about the plant family

Family: Musaceae Juss. 1789

Description-internal

Two subfamilies (in some books regarded as seperate families): Musoideae - shrubs with latex, unisexual Strelitzioideae - shrubs or herbs

Distribution

Musoideae: Central Africa and Southeast Asia Strelitzioideae: South Africa

Floral characters

Musoideae: unisexual Strelitzioideae: zygomorph, bisexual

Leaf characters

Strelitzioideae: distichous Musoideae: spirally arranged

Stipules

absent

Fruit characters

Strelitzioideae: capsule with arillate seeds Musoideae: berries (bananas)

Glands

absent

Hairs

absent

Latex

present in Musoideae

Uses

Musa - banana, fibres - very important foodsource Strelitzia ornamentals

Chemical characters

small amounts of Oxal Acid lot of amylum in berries of Musa

Distribution maps

(online von http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/APweb/ . Dort zitiert wie unter jedem Diagramm vermerkt):

Musaceae
map: J. Kress, pers. comm.