Blue Java banana
{{short description|Banana cultivar}}
{{Infobox cultivar
| name = Musa 'Blue Java'
| image = Hawaiian Banana.jpg
| image_caption = Stands in Maui, Hawaii
| hybrid =Musa acuminata × balbisiana
| cultivar = 'Blue Java'
| group = ABB Group{{cite book | last=Daniells | first=Jeffrey | isbn=1-86320-138-6 | date=1995 | place=Canberra, Australia | publisher=Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research | title=Illustrated Guide to the Identification of Banana Varieties in the South Pacific}}
| origin = Southeast Asia down to Northern Australia
}}
File:Ice Cream Banana (Blue Java).jpg
File:Starr-091112-9540.jpg, Hawaii]]
The Blue Java (also known as the blue banana, Ice Cream banana, Vanilla Banana, Hawaiian banana, Ney Mannan, Krie, or Cenizo) is a hardy, cold-tolerant banana cultivar known for its sweet aromatic fruit, which is said to have an ice cream-like consistency and flavor reminiscent of vanilla.{{cite web |url= http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/banana.html|title= BANANA|year= 1996|publisher=California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc. |access-date=12 January 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017075339/http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/banana.html|archive-date=17 October 2020}}{{cite web|url= http://stokestropicals.com/ice-cream.htm|title= Musa sp. 'Ice Cream' 'Blue Java' banana|publisher= Stokes Tropicals|access-date= 12 January 2011|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100409081403/http://www.stokestropicals.com/ice-cream.htm|archive-date= 9 April 2010|url-status= dead}} It is native to Southeast Asia and is a hybrid of two species of banana native to Southeast Asia—Musa balbisiana and Musa acuminata.
Taxonomy and nomenclature
The Blue Java banana is a triploid (ABB) hybrid of the seeded banana Musa balbisiana and Musa acuminata.{{cite web |url= http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Musa.html|title= Sorting Musa names|author= Michel H. Porche| author2 = Prof. Snow Barlow| date= 2002-07-19|publisher= The University of Melbourne|access-date=11 January 2011}}
Its accepted name is Musa acuminata × balbisiana (ABB Group) 'Blue Java'.
Synonyms include:
- Musa acuminata × balbisiana (ABB Group) 'Ice Cream'
In Hawaii it is known as the 'Ice Cream banana' and in Fiji as the 'Hawaiian banana'. It is also called 'Krie' in the Philippines, 'Kepok Awu' in Indonesia and 'Cenizo' in Central America.
Description
Blue Java banana trees can grow to a height of {{convert|4.5 to 6|m|ft|0}}. They are cold-tolerant and wind-resistant because of their strong pseudostems and root systems. The leaves are silvery green in color.
The fruit bunches are small, bearing seven to nine hands. The fruit are {{convert|18 to 23|cm|in|0}} in length and exhibit a characteristic silvery green color when unripe where the silveriness is caused by heavy coat of wax.{{Cite web |title=Musa species (bananas and plantains) - banana-plantain-overview.pdf |url=http://www.bananenzeug.ch/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/banana-plantain-overview.pdf}} The fruit turn a pale yellow when ripe, with white creamy flesh. They bloom around 15 to 24 months after planting and can be harvested after 115 to 150 days. The bananas have bumps called "knuckles" due to their passing resemblance to human knuckles.{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}
Uses
Blue Java bananas are popular bananas that can be eaten fresh or cooked. They are known for their fragrant flavor which has a vanilla-like custard taste.
They are also popular as ornamentals and shade plants for their unusual blue coloration, large size, and tolerance to temperate climates.{{cite web |url= http://www.bananas.org/wiki/Musa_Ice_Cream_%28Blue_Java%29|title=Musa Blue Java (Ice Cream)|publisher=International Banana Society |access-date=12 January 2011}}
Pests and diseases
=Common pests=
=Common diseases=
See also
{{Portal|Botany|Agriculture}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Banana}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blue Java banana}}