Lady Finger bananas (also known as sugar bananas, fig bananas, or date bananas) are diploid banana cultivars originating in Malaysia or Indonesia, belonging to the Sucrier subgroup of the AA banana cultivar group. Lady Finger banana is the most widely cultivated AA cultivar and is one of the world’s most popular local bananas. Banana fruits are finger-sized, thin skinned, and deliciously sweet.

Lady finger banana
Lady Finger banana fruit
Hybrid parentageMusa acuminata
Cultivar groupSucrier subgroup of the AA Group[1][2][3][4][5]
Cultivar'Lady Finger'
OriginMalaysia[1]
Indonesia[2]

Taxonomy edit

Lady Finger banana is a diploid cultivar of the wild banana Musa acuminata, belonging to the Sucrier subgroup of the AA banana cultivar group.[1][2][3][4][5] They were once placed under the Sucrier group in the old system of classification.[6] Besides, ‘Lady (‘s) Finger’ has been used to name several distinct AA, AB and AAB clones; such as 'Ney Poovan' in same name subgroup (AB genome), 'Pome', 'Pacovan' and 'Pacha Nadan' in 'Pome subgroup' (AAB genome).[7]

Its official designation is Musa (AA Group) 'Lady Finger'.[3]

Synonyms include:[3]

  • Musa acuminata Colla (AA Group) 'Lady's Finger'
  • Musa acuminata Colla (AA Group) 'Sucrier'
  • Musa acuminata Colla (Sucrier Group) 'Lady's Finger'
  • Musa × paradisiaca L. 'Lady Finger'
  • Musa × paradisiaca L. cultigroup Sucrier 'Doigt de Femme'
  • Musa × paradisiaca L. cultigroup Saccharinus 'Lady's Finger'
  • Musa × paradisiaca L. cultigroup Saccharinus 'Dedo de Dama'
  • Musa acuminata Colla non L. (Sucrier Group) 'Datil'
  • Musa acuminata Colla non L. (Sucrier Group) 'Niño'
  • Musa acuminata Colla non L. (Sucrier Group) 'Bocadillo'

Common names edit

Musa (AA Group) 'Lady Finger' has many common names in other languages. Following are:

Common names of Lady Finger banana
Language Common names Location References
Spanish Orito Ecuador [1][8]
Dedo de Dama, Guineo niño, Manices, Datil, Nino Latin America [1][3][6]
Guineo blanco Puerto Rico
Cambur Titiaro, Bocadillo Colombia
Cambur Titiaro Venezuela
French Banane-figue, Banane mignonne, Banane doigt de dame,

Banane naine, Banana ficaire, Bananier "Sucrier"

[1][3]
Banane figue sucrée, Figue sucrée, Fig sucré West Indies
Burmese Segale nget pyaw (or Sagale nget pyaw) Myanmar
Portuguese Banana ouro, Banana-figo, Banana dedo-de-dama, Banana anã Brazil
Hindi Surya kadali India
Parika Guyana [1]
Pohnpei Kudud Pohnpei

(Federated States of Micronesia)

English Lady Finger banana Hawai'i
Nino banana Florida
Fig banana, Date banana, Finger banana, Sugar banana [3]
Danish Sukkerbanan, Figenbanan
Dutch Bananenvijg, Bananevijg.
German Zuckerbanane, Kleine Westindische Banane
Italian Banana d’oro, Banana fico, Banana nana
Indonesian Biu mas Bali (Indonesia)
Amasan, Pisang mas, Pisang emas Indonesia [1][3][9][10]
Malay Pisang mas, Pisang mas besar, Pisang mas Kampung. Malaysia
Tagalog Amas, Caramelo, Kamoros Philippines
Thai Kluai khai, Klue kai (กล้วยไข่) Thailand
Vietnamese Chuoi trung Vietnam

Origin and habitat edit

Lady Finger banana is a diploid cultivar originating in Malaysia[1] or Indonesia.[2] It is the most widely cultivated AA cultivar and is one of the world’s most popular local bananas.[1] Lady Finger (AA), with much A in its genome, is notably difficult to grow and rarely survives with low moisture or humidity.[5]

Description edit

Lady Finger bananas trees can grow at a height of 7.5 metres (25 ft). Its pseudostem is slender but it has a heavy root system that makes it resistant to wind damage. The outer sheaths are dark-brown or streaked with reddish brown. The leaves are yellowish green and nearly free of wax. It blooms during mid-summer, late summer, and early fall. Each bunch, usually 10.4 kg in weight,[2] typically having 10 to 14 hands. Each hands consists of 12 to 20 fruits. It is monocarpic and is propagated asexually.[6]

Its depends on soil and climate, the fruit is finger-sized, reaching 4 to 5 inches (10 to 12+12 cm) in length, under perfect growing conditions.[1] The skin is thin and light yellow. The flesh is deliciously sweet.[6] Despite their resemblance, the Lady Finger banana must not be confused with the totally different cultivar Latundan banana which is a bit larger and has a sweet-sour taste.[8] ‘Apple’ or ‘Manzana’ banana cultivars is also very similar to ‘Lady Finger’ in all respects except that its fruit 's flavor has very much like fresh apple.[11]

Nutrition edit

Lady Finger are carotenoid-rich, containing 315 µg β-Carotene/100 g.[5] Its high in vitamins and minerals.[12]

Diseases edit

Lady Finger bananas are resistant to Panama disease[1][6] and the black weevil, but is susceptible to Sigatoka leaf spot.[6][7]

Uses edit

Lady Finger bananas are eaten fresh or used in desserts. Its preferred for fragrant aroma, sweetness, nutritional value and esthetic value. They are known for being more superior than supermarket bananas.[11] In Indonesia, Lady Finger banana is often used as a decoration in traditional ceremonies.[12] Dwarf Lady Finger bananas, typically growing only up to 15 feet (4+12 m) in height, are also cultivated as houseplants.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Ploetz, R.C.; Kepler, A.K.; Daniells, J. & Nelson, S.C. (2007), "Banana and Plantain: An Overview with Emphasis on Pacific Island Cultivars" (PDF), in Elevitch, C.R. (ed.), Species Profiles for Pacific Island Agroforestry, Hōlualoa, Hawai'i: Permanent Agriculture Resources (PAR), p. 8-9, retrieved 2024-03-12
  2. ^ a b c d e Ortiz, Amil (2016). MUSA TAXONOMIC REFERENCE COLLECTION (PDF). US: Agricultural Research Service - United States Department of Agriculture. pp. 17–20.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Porcher, Michel H.; Barlow, (Prof.) Snow (27 March 2011). "Sorting Musa cultivars". The University of Melbourne. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  4. ^ a b OECD Consensus Documents (2010). Safety Assessment of Transgenic Organisms. Harmonisation of Regulatory Oversight in Biotechnology. Vol. 4. Paris, France: OECD Publishing. p. 90. doi:10.1787/9789264096158-en. ISBN 978-92-64-09614-1. ISSN 2311-4622.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  5. ^ a b c d Nelson, S.C.; Ploetz, R.C. & Kepler, A.K. (August 2006), "Musa species (bananas and plantains)" (PDF), in Elevitch, C.R (ed.), Species Profiles for Pacific Island Agroforestry, vol. 2, Hōlualoa, Hawai'i: Permanent Agriculture Resources (PAR), pp. 5 & 22, retrieved 2024-03-01{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  6. ^ a b c d e f Morton, Julia (1987). "Banana". hort.purdue.edu. Purdue University. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  7. ^ a b Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (February 2023). The Biology of Musa L. (banana) (PDF) (3 ed.). Australia: Department of Health and Aged Care - Australian Government. pp. 5–6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  8. ^ a b Chapalbay, Luis Enrique Salau (2015). "Manejo Poscosecha de Banano ´Orito' (Musa acuminata) hasta un Centro de Acopio en Época de Verano en el Cantón Bucay, Provincia del Guayas" (PDF). Tesina de Seminario (in Spanish). GUAYAQUIL, ECUADOR: Facultad de Ingeniería en Mecánica y Ciencias de la Producción: i–ii, 25 – via dspace.espol.edu.ec.
  9. ^ Kepler, Angela Kay (2007). "BANANA CULTIVAR NAMES AND SYNONYMS IN HAWAI'I (excluding traditional mai'a)" (PDF). College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. p. 5. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  10. ^ Valmayor, Ramón V.; Jamaluddin, S.H.; Silayoi, B.; Kusumo, S.; Danh, L.D.; Pascua, O.C. & Espino, R.R.C. (2000), Banana cultivar names and synonyms in Southeast Asia (PDF), Los Baños, Philippines: International Network for Improvement of Banana and Plantain – Asia and the Pacific Office, pp. 8 & 15, ISBN 971-91751-2-5, archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-05-30, retrieved 2024-03-01
  11. ^ a b Sauls, Julian W. "Banana". aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu. Texas A&M University. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
  12. ^ a b Mubarok, Syariful; Maulida Rahman, Ikrima; Nuraniya Kamaluddin, Nadia; Solihin, Eso (2022-12-31). "Impact of 1-Methylcyclopropene combined with chitosan on postharvest quality of tropical banana 'Lady Finger'". International Journal of Food Properties. 25 (1): 1171–1185. doi:10.1080/10942912.2022.2074028. ISSN 1094-2912.