Banana family : MUSACEAE (ZINGIBERIDAE) in Australia

Flower Families

Don Herbison-Evans, (donherbisonevans@yahoo.com) & Christine Ashe

Plant Classes

Heliconia angusta Christmas Heliconia specimen: courtesy of Ginger Factory, Yandina, November 2006	Heliconia chartacea Sexy Heliconia Magnetic Island, March 2008 Photo: courtesy of Donald Simpson	Heliconia collinsiana Platanillo specimen: courtesy of Ginger Factory and Anna Piper, Yandina, November 2006	Heliconia humilis Lobster Claw Sydney, December 2006
Heliconia rostrata Hanging Parrots Beak specimen: courtesy of Ginger Factory, Yandina, April 2007	Musa acuminata 'Cavendish' Cavendish Bananas Bundaberg, November 2007	Musa acuminata 'Lady Finger' Ninos (Photo : courtesy of Margaret Humphrey)	Musa velutina Red Banana Royal Botanic Gardens, April 2008
Strelitzia juncea Crane Flower Ashfield, May 2007	Strelitzia nicolai Giant Bird of Paradise Sydney, September 2006	Strelitzia parvifolia Small Leaved Bird of Paradise Hurlstone Park, February 2007	Strelitzia reginae Bird of Paradise Sydney, August 2006

Species in MUSACEAE have been reported to be foodplants for caterpillars of several Australian Moth species, including:

Spodoptera litura	Pyroderces rileyi	Tiracola plagiata	Calcarifera ordinata
Teia anartoides	Calliteara pura	Nacoleia octasema	Opogona glycyphaga

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Australian butterflies

Australian Lepidoptera

Australian moths

(updated 4 January 2013, 10 September 2014, 6 February 2019, 27 February 2021)