Cheksum Tawan

Wild Banana of Sarawak: Systematic Study of the Genus Musa (Musaceae) Cheksum Tawan

A systematic study of wild banana (Musaceae) and varieties in Sarawak based on morphology and anatomy characteristics was conducted. The objectives of this study are to document the distributions of species and to study the morphology and anatomy of wild banana in Sarawak. Descriptions of the species were based on the IPGRI/INIBAP-CIRAD descriptors and modification of Argent's method. Seven major characteristics were focused during this study viz. plant appearances, leaf, fruit bunches, male buds, flowers, fruits and seeds. Fifteen species were recorded (including one newly described in this monograph)with three species recorded with a numbers of variants; Musa acuminata, M. borneensis and M. campestris with 6, 5 and 3 varieties respectively. The field keys based on morphology and anatomy also included.