Lady Finger banana


Lady Finger bananas are diploid cultivars of Musa acuminata. They are small, thin skinned, and sweet.

Taxonomy and nomenclature

The Lady Finger banana is a diploid cultivar of the seeded banana Musa acuminata. They were once placed under the Sucrier group in the old system of classification.
Its official designation is Musa 'Lady Finger'.
Synonyms include:
They are known in English as lady finger bananas, sugar bananas, finger bananas, fig bananas, date bananas, or sucrier. The Malaysian name is pisang mas. Similarly, in Cambodia, it is referred to as chek pong moan, lit. 'chicken-egg banana', where it is considered the national fruit of Cambodia by royal decree. In Venezuela, they are known as cambures titiaros.
In Australia, the name 'lady finger banana' refers to another banana cultivar, the Pome banana. In Hawaii and the West Indies, 'lady finger' is also used to describe the Ney Poovan banana cultivar.

Description

Lady Finger bananas can grow at a height of 7.5m. Its pseudostem is slender and streaked with reddish brown, but it has a heavy root system that makes it resistant to wind damage. It is resistant to drought and Black Weevil, but is susceptible to Sigatoka. It blooms during mid-summer, late summer, and early fall. It is monocarpic and is propagated asexually.
The fruit is 4 to 5 inches in length, and light yellow. The skin is thin and the flesh is sweet. 12 to 20 fingers are borne in each hand, with each bunch typically having 10 to 14 hands.

Uses

Lady Finger bananas are eaten fresh or used in desserts. They are known for being sweeter than the common Cavendish-type bananas.
Dwarf Lady Finger bananas, typically growing only up to 15 ft in height, are also cultivated as houseplants.

Diseases

Lady Finger are vulnerable to Black sigatoka and very susceptible to the Panama disease.