13-01-2018, 10:29 AM
VViews: I hadn't seen that blog either. It's strange though, his only reason for dismissing earlier banana ID's is that fact that "The banana was introduced ito Asia and Europa after the time the manuscript was produced." 
JKP: Banana does produce several stalks from the same corm. Admittedly, these take on a more separate look than they do in the VM, but they are still growing from the same base.
![[Image: 67i6.jpg]](http://www.quiet-corner.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/67i6.jpg)
These suckers are often truncated, giving rise to what we see in the VM. There are a number of reasons why one would do this: to harvest leaves, to prepare the plant for winter.. (this is of course only necessary in certain areas). When fresh shoots emerge from these stumps, the behavior is again like in the VM drawing:
![[Image: banana-plant-01.jpg]](http://www.cooltropicalplants.com/image-files/banana-plant-01.jpg)
About the fruit, I agree about the tuft: this can only be made by someone who inspected a growing banana plant (or copied from such an image). However, it is not true that the weight of the fruit always bends the stalk. Keep in mind that there are many banana species. Some smaller species, like You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view., have their fruit on upright stalks. (Also keep in mind that the modern varieties have been selectively bred for larger (and thus heavier) fruit).
The main point against banana would be the round shape of the bottom left leaf. Bananas generally have elongated leaves, but leaves on younger plants tend to have a rounder appearance.
And the other leaves share more properties with banana. They droop, like bed sheets hanging over a line to dry, and they show deep cuts and a variety of colors.
![[Image: musa-saba-banana-tree-banana-plants-13.gif]](https://sep.yimg.com/ay/green2995/musa-saba-banana-tree-banana-plants-13.gif)
![[Image: Banana-tree-6225.jpg]](http://www.4freephotos.com/thumbs/2015/Banana-tree-6225.jpg)
JKP: Banana does produce several stalks from the same corm. Admittedly, these take on a more separate look than they do in the VM, but they are still growing from the same base.
These suckers are often truncated, giving rise to what we see in the VM. There are a number of reasons why one would do this: to harvest leaves, to prepare the plant for winter.. (this is of course only necessary in certain areas). When fresh shoots emerge from these stumps, the behavior is again like in the VM drawing:
About the fruit, I agree about the tuft: this can only be made by someone who inspected a growing banana plant (or copied from such an image). However, it is not true that the weight of the fruit always bends the stalk. Keep in mind that there are many banana species. Some smaller species, like You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view., have their fruit on upright stalks. (Also keep in mind that the modern varieties have been selectively bred for larger (and thus heavier) fruit).
The main point against banana would be the round shape of the bottom left leaf. Bananas generally have elongated leaves, but leaves on younger plants tend to have a rounder appearance.
And the other leaves share more properties with banana. They droop, like bed sheets hanging over a line to dry, and they show deep cuts and a variety of colors.