In this world, many things surprise people—one of the most significant fruits that are not like in general. Do you already know the endemic giant banana from West Papua?
West Papua has a giant Papuan banana tree or Musa Ingens banana. This tree is so big and tall that one person can’t hug its trunk. These are the facts about the giant banana in West Papua you should know.
The Facts About Giant Banana From West Papua
Believe it or not, this giant Musa Ingens banana tree grew naturally on the edge of the 18th Kilometer Fakfak-Kokas Highway, Kaisu, Mananmur Village, Kayauni District, Fakfak, West Papua.
Womersley, J.S. and Simmonds, N.W. collected this giant banana as a specimen on December 22, 1954, in New Guinea. These bananas are a spirit collection in the U.K.’s Kew Herbarium. How unique and proper? Let’s look at the facts about Giant Banana From West Papua below.
Endemic Plants
Data from the Manokwari Research and Development Center for Environment and Forestry (BP2LHK) stated that the giant banana found in Fakfak is an endemic plant with Musa ingens as the Latin name and also known by Musa ingens N. W. Simmonds. Musa Ingens bananas grow in areas with an altitude of 1,000 -1,700 meters above sea level (masl).
Musa Ingens bananas in Fakfak grow in the secondary or ex-garden forests on either side of roads with soil substrate or deep soil solum. The location of these bananas were found in Kwau Village, Mokwam District, Manokwari Regency, which borders the Arfak Mountains District.
Giant Size
Musa Ingens banana trunk has a diameter of 70 cm and a height of 10-15 meters. The size of this banana is equivalent to 6 to 7 times the size of a banana in general. The diameter of the Musa Ingens banana tree can be 1-1.5 meters, with a height of about 25 meters. Even some websites say the diameter of this banana tree trunk can reach one to two meters.
This banana leaf’s shape is like a banana with a larger size, about one meter wide and up to six meters long. This musa ingens banana has a length of up to 20 cm with a diameter of 4-6 cm. One bunch of bananas weighs almost 60 kilograms. The size of bunches is usually around 35-50 cm in diameter and has long 70-80 cm .
Not Consumed
Local people do not consume these bananas, or their consumption is limited. The reason, many seeds are less preferred. Residents only use these banana leaves for makeshift roofs in the forest, seating mats, and food mats.
Meanwhile, the fronds are used to store hunted, or garden produce. In fact, according to residents, this giant banana is not consumed because it is considered taboo. They only use it for other uses, such as medicine.
According to local beliefs, to reduce seeds, when cutting, one should not use a machete but instead stab the stem right at the root until it collapses, then start picking the fruit.
Not Cultivated
Musa Ingens bananas have a green fruit skin color when young and yellowish when ripe. Musa Ingens banana fruit has very many seeds.
This giant banana is rare and has no cultivation because its utilization is unknown. According to residents, this giant banana grows without cultivation. The existence of this plant is threatened when rapid development changes the forest to other uses.
Those are the facts about Giant Banana From West Papua. If you are traveling to Manokwari, walk for about an hour on a two-wheeled or four-wheeled vehicle in the direction of the Arfak Mountains District.
In Kwau Village, Mokwam District, Manokwari Regency, you can enjoy the view of this giant banana tree. Because the location is very strategic and easy to reach, tourists and professional photographers always stop by this location.
