Ensete glaucum

Ensete glaucum, the snow banana, has also been classified as Musa nepalensis, Ensete giganteum, or Ensete wilsonii.

Ensete glaucum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Clade:	Commelinids
Order:	Zingiberales
Family:	Musaceae
Genus:	Ensete
Species:	E. glaucum
Binomial name
Ensete glaucum (Roxb.) Cheesman

Distribution

This gigantic monocarpic herbaceous plant is native to China, Nepal, India, Myanmar (Burma), Vietnam and Thailand.^[1]

It grows from 2,600–8,800 feet (790–2,680 m) in elevation.^{[citation needed]}

Description

Ensete glaucum has a thick, waxy with sometimes bluish tinge, solitary pseudostem. It grows larger than the Abyssinian Banana (Ensete ventricosum).

Its leaves are 1.4–1.8 metres (4.6–5.9 ft) long and 50–60 centimetres (20–24 in) wide.^[2]

Cultivation and uses

The plant is cultivated as an ornamental plant, for its unique swollen bulbous base and large leaves^[1] and is used to feed pigs in parts of China.^{[citation needed]}

In India the pulp of the fruit is eaten, considered highly medicinal, and given to infants and patients. Young shoots and a flowering part are eaten as a vegetable. The plant is used in religious and domestic celebrations.^[3]

It is easy to raise from seed. It is an extremely fast growing banana given heat, but not as hardy as the Abyssinian Banana (Ensete ventricosum), and is not as well known.^{[citation needed]}