Musa paradisiaca
(Common name:- Plantain )
Classification
- Kingdom : Plantae
- (Unranked)- Angiosperms
- (Unranked)- Monocots
- (Unranked)- Commelinids
- Order- Zingiberales
- Family- Musaceae
- Genus- Musa
- Species- M. paradisiacal
History
Plantain is a crop which is less sweet than dessert banana. Banana is
the fruit of plantain and generally used for cooking or eaten raw when
fresh.
Plantain is native to tropical regions of Southeast Asia, Oceania,
including Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines.
Plant Description
It is small wild plant that sometimes grows as noxious weed. It grows
naturally in the lawns, gardens and backyards in throughout of America.
It appears like dandelion, which grows down to the roots and need to
pull out with roots.
The leaves are ovate and long and can be distinguished by their chunky
footstalk.
The flower stem of plantain grows upto 7-20 inches and having long
barbs of green-whitish flowers.
Cultivation
Plantain can be easily found in throughout the Europe and temperate
climate zone in Asia.
The leaves are cultivated in the summers. The plantain shrub can be
found growing near the waste places as weed, commercially it is not
harvested.
Parts Used
Leaves, seeds
Uses
- Common plantain is valued by most herbalists around the world and is
used for multiple ailments.
- The herb is used as a substitute of comfrey and treats bruises and
broken bones.
- Plantain ointment and lotions are used to cure hemorrhoids fistulae
or anomalous channels in the skin as well as ulcers.
- Plantain also possesses properties like diuretic, expectorant, and
decongestant.
- This herb is thought to be effective for gastritis, peptic ulcers,
diarrhea, dysentery, cold, and cough and can be taken in excessive
menstrual bleeding.
Names
- DANISH: Kanarisk banan, Spisebanan.
- DUTCH: Canarische banaan, Eetbanaan, Bacove, Bakove
- ENGLISH: Canary banana, Table banana, Common banana.
- FINNISH: Banaani, Hedelmaebanaani.
- FRENCH: Figue banane, Banane des Canaries, Banane de table, Bacove.
- GERMAN: Speisebanane, Obstbanane, Kanarische Banane
- ITALIAN: Banana delle Canarie.
- PORTUGUESE: Bananeira prata, Bananeira dos sabios.
- SPANISH: Banano de mesa, Banano de las Islas Canarias.