1131

 Musa velutina H.Wendl. & Drude

Synonym	:	Musa dasycarpa Kurz
Family	:	Musaceae
Local name	:	English – velvet banana
Flowering and fruiting period	:	Throughout the year
Distribution	:	India (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland) and  Myanmar.
Uses	:	Ornamantal
Key botanical characters:   Rhizomatous, stoloniferous, suckering, clump-forming herbs. Pseudostem 45–180 cm tall, cylindrical, pale green or creamy green to pale purplish, with brown or reddish-brown blotches. Leaves arranged terminally, intermediate to drooping; petioles 15–55 cm long, green, margins scarious with dry appearance. Inflorescence erect, peduncle pubescent, cream or creamy-pink to deep pink or red; female buds lanceolate, convolute; female and male; bracts and flowers inserted separately on the axis; bracts reflexed, revolute before falling, female bract pubescent, pale pink adaxially, pink or reddish-pink abaxially; male bratcs glabrous, adaxially pale pink, pink or reddish-pink abaxially; flowers arranged in a single row. Infructescence compact with 3–6 hands; fingers pointed upwards, straight, prominently ridged, blunt at apex with or without floral relicts, densely pubescent, pink or red, peel splits open when ripen, exposing pulp and seeds.