Dwarf Cavendish banana

Cavendish bananas were named after William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire. Though not the first known banana specimens in Europe, around 1834 Cavendish received a shipment of bananas courtesy of the chaplain of Alton Towers (then the seat of the Earls of Shrewsbury). His gardener, Sir Joseph Paxton cultivated them in the greenhouses of Chatsworth House. The plants were botanically described by Paxton as Musa cavendishii, after the Duke. In 1888, bananas from the Canary Islands were imported into England by Thomas Fyffe. These bananas are now known to belong to the Dwarf Cavendish cultivar. ==Taxonomy==

Its accepted name is Musa (AAA group) 'Dwarf Cavendish'. Synonyms include: from the Dwarf Cavendish. • Musa acuminata L. A. Colla • Musa nana J. de Loureiro (name accepted at Mobot) • Musa nana auct. non J. de Loureiro • Musa chinensis R. Sweet • Musa sinensis P. A. Sagot ex J. G. Baker • Musa sinensis P. A. Sagot • Musa sinensis R. Sweet ex P. A. Sagot Other common names include klue hom kom, pisang serendah, Chinese banana, and Canary banana. ==Description==

Dwarf Cavendish leaves are broad with short petioles. Its shortness makes it stable, wind-resistant, and easier to manage. This, in addition to its fast growth rate, makes it ideal for plantation cultivation. An easily recognizable characteristic of this cultivar is that the male bracts and flowers are not shed. The fruits of the Dwarf Cavendish cultivar range from about 15 to 25 cm in length, and are thin skinned. Each plant can bear up to 90 fingers. ==References==