Basho (English spelling) Musa basjoo

Japanese: バショウ(芭蕉) - バショウ（英語表記）Musa basjoo

A perennial plant of the Musaceae family. Native to China, it is commonly seen as an ornamental plant in warm areas of Japan from central to southern Japan. The rhizomes grow large and tuberous, and the next generation of rhizomes grow laterally. A pseudostem consisting of overlapping leaf sheaths on top of the rhizomes stands upright and can reach a height of about 5 m. The leaf surface is broad and oblong, reaching about 2 m, and opens in all directions at the stem apex. The bright green leaf surface has a thick, raised midvein and many parallel branches, making it prone to tearing. In summer, a thick, columnar flower stalk rises from the stem apex and tilts to one side, producing many flower spikes. The flowers are yellowish-white and lip-shaped. The upper lip is made up of three outer perianth segments and two inner perianth segments, and only the upper part is divided into five. The lower lip is oval, and there is a nectary inside the bag. Occasionally, small banana-like fruits are produced. The fibers of the leaf sheaths are used for clothing in the Amami Islands and other areas.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

バショウ科の宿根草。中国原産で，日本では中部以南の暖地で観葉植物として普通にみられる。根茎は大きく塊状になり，次代の根茎を側生させる。根茎の上に重なり合った葉鞘から成る偽茎が直立し，高さ 5m内外となる。葉面は広い長楕円形で 2mほどになり，茎頂で四方に開く。鮮緑色の葉面は，中脈が太く隆起して多数の支脈が平行して走り，破れやすい。夏に，茎頂を突き抜けて太い柱状の花茎が立ち，一方に傾いて多数の花の穂をつける。花は黄白色で唇状。上唇は外花被3片，内花被2片が合し，上部だけが5つに分れる。下唇は卵形で，袋の中に蜜腺がある。まれに小さなバナナに似た果実がなることがある。奄美群島などではこの葉鞘の繊維を衣料に用いる。

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