The largest giant banana tree in the world turns out to be in West Papua, Indonesia. The size is fantastic, it can reach a height of 25 to 30 meters or equivalent to 6 to 7 times the size of a banana tree in general. The giant banana tree of Papua is in the Arfak Mountains, West Papua. In the local language, this giant banana is called ndowin or apit sepoh.

The Manokwari West Papua Environment and Forestry Research and Development Institute said that the Papuan giant banana is an endemic plant and has the Latin name Musa ingens or Musa ingens NW Simmonds. This giant banana, was first collected as a specimen by Womersley JS and Simmonds NW on December 22, 1954 in New Guinea. The bananas are stored as a spirit colection at the Kew Herbarium in the United Kingdom.

If the banana tree usually has a height of less than 5 meters, the musa ingens banana tree can reach a height of 25-30 meters or equivalent to 6 to 7 times the height of bananas in general. The diameter of the Musa ingens banana tree reaches a size of 95 cm. Even some websites say that the diameter of the trunk of the Musa ingens tree can reach 1-2 meters.

See also: The Biggest Banana Tree In The World Is In Papua

The fronds on normal banana trees are usually no more than 2.5 meters, while musa igens is up to 5 meters long by 1 meter wide. Local residents use this banana leaf for the roof of emergency houses in the forest, seating mats and food mats. While fronds are generally used to store game or garden products.

This musa ingens banana has a fruit up to 20 cm long with a fruit size of 4-6 cm in diameter. One bunch of bananas can weigh up to 60 kilograms. The size of bunches like bananas is generally about 35-50 cm in diameter, 70-80 cm long. The color of the banana peel is green when young and yellowish when ripe. The fruit also has quite a lot of seeds with a size larger or the same as bananas in general.

The giant banana musa ingens is one of the endemic plants of Papua. So far, the tree has only been found in the Arfak Mountains, West Papua Province with an altitude of 100 to 200 meters above sea level. One of the locations of this banana is in Kwau Village, Mokwam District, Manokwari Regency which borders the Arfak Mountains Regency.

The distribution of this type only exists on the island of Papua, including Manokwari (Arfak Mountains Nature Reserve), Kaimana, Wondama Bay and Fak-Fak (Central Fak-Fak Nature Reserve). Then in Yapen Regency (Central Yapen Nature Reserve) and Tambrauw (Banfot and Esyom Muara Kali Ehrin)

Usually this giant banana grows in secondary forests or former plantation forests and on the right and left of the road with substrate soil or deep soil solum. This type of banana grows in clusters or separately and is commonly associated with the types Lithocarpus rufovillosus, Musa arfakiana, Musa balbisina, Dodonaea viscos, Piper umbellatum, and Alphitonia macrocarpa.

An International Board of Plant Genetic Resource researcher named Jeff Daniells started the study of this giant banana at a location in Papua New Guinea around 1989. According to Jeff Daniells, this giant banana tree can be found in the western and eastern parts of the highlands or mountainous areas of Papua New Guinea. 

Jeff then patented the results of the giant banana research as reported in the Rfcarchives.org.au. Although it is believed that this giant banana is found in Papua New Guinea, it also thrives in West Papua, Indonesia. This giant banana is also spread in the Arfak Mountains, West Papua Province, West Papua, Indonesia.