Papua’s forests contain extraordinary biological riches. One of them is Musa ingens N. W. Simmonds, the scientific name for the giant banana which is only found on this island.

It is called a giant banana because it can grow as tall as a coconut tree. It’s so big, its trunk circumference exceeds the arm of an adult. Papuan people have long known and used banana stems, leaves and fruit.

Once upon a time Norman Willison Simmonds, the name that was later pinned on this banana, traveled to Asia Pacific from 1954 to 1955, to collect plants, especially bananas.

He is an English botanist and plant collector. His two books entitled “Bananas” and The Evolution of Bananas” are references for the breeding and classification of banana plants.

While in Papua New Guinea, he came across this giant banana. In December 1954, specimens of this plant were recorded at Kew Royal Botanical Gardens, England, with discovery sites in Aiyura and Morobe district, Skindewai, in January 1956.

In terms of size, until now no one has beaten this giant banana. In the forests and gardens of residents, the tree can grow as high as 25 meters. The leaves can reach six meters by 1 meter wide. While the fruit is 10 to 20 cm in size, with a diameter of up to 10 cm.

See also: West Papuan Largest Banana Tree, the World’s Largest Banana 7 Times the Normal Size

One bunch, contains up to 300 fruit, with a total weight of up to 60 kg. The size of the banana heart can exceed the head of an adult human. When still unripe, the fruit is green and yellowish when ripe.

Residents rarely use the fruit as food, only as medicine. This is because the fruit has many seeds. Wild bananas are almost all seeded, while those widely consumed are the result of crossbreeding and genetic engineering.

Ayub Yekwam, Head of Banfot Village, Tambrauw Regency, West Papua explained that residents use banana leaves for makeshift roofs in the forest, seating mats and food mats. Meanwhile, the midrib is used to store game or garden produce. In the local language, this banana is called ndowin or apit sepoh.

“We cannot eat Ndowin because it is considered taboo. Usually we use it for medicine or for house walls,” he said.

This giant banana grows in the highlands between 1,200 and 2,000 meters above sea level. This plant grows well in rainforests with foggy and cool environments. Perpendicular between the trees in the forest fighting for sunlight.

Future opportunities

Another expert who has encountered this giant banana is Jeff Daniells, in 1989 in Papua New Guinea. The Australian expert’s trip was funded by the International Board of Plant Genetic Resources, which aims to collect rare and endangered plant varieties so that priceless genetic material can be saved.

Daniels said this plant will not live in the lowlands, because it cannot survive in hot weather. But this also provides opportunities in the future, with genetic engineering to grow plants in cold regions using genes from Musa ingens.

The giant banana is actually the largest herbaceous plant in the world, because it has no wood fiber or lignin. So compared to, for example, coconut trees, this plant is closer to ginger. Apart from seeds, banana plants can be propagated through rhizomes or tuber shoots.

Hari Suroto, a researcher at the Center for Environmental Archeology at the Indonesian Research Center, in September 2021, he encountered this plant on the edge of the Fakfak-Kokas highway, km 18, Kaisu, Mananmur Village, Kayauni District, Fakfak, West Papua. He also shared his photos and made news in various media.

Meanwhile, a team from the Indonesian Research and Development Center for Environment and Forestry sub-Manokwari, in April 2017 found this plant in Kwau Village, Mokwam District, Manokwari Regency, which borders the Arfak Mountains Regency. The location can be reached by land vehicle from downtown Manokwari in two hours.

Hadi Warsito from the Indonesian Research and Development Center for Environment and Forestry sub-Manokwari explained that the distribution of Papuan giant bananas includes the Manokwari area [Arfak Mountains Nature Reserve], Kaimana, Wondama Bay and Fak-Fak [Central Fak-Fak Nature Reserve]. Also, in Yapen Regency [Central Yapen Nature Reserve] and in Tambrauw Regency [Banfot and Esyom, Muara Kali Ehrin].

This banana can still grow in secondary forests or former plantation forests. Because they are difficult to cultivate, preserving Papua’s forests is the only way so that we can always see these bananas.