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Musa facts for kids

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Musa
Starr 050826-4195 Musa sp..jpg
Banana plants, Kanaha Beach, Maui
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Musa

Musa is a special group of plants that includes all kinds of bananas and plantains. It's one of the main groups, or genera, in the Musaceae family. There are about 70 different types, or species, of Musa plants known around the world. People use these plants for many different things, especially for food.

Many Musa plants, like banana and plantain trees, grow very tall. They can look like trees, but they are actually giant herbs. This means they don't have a woody trunk like a real tree. Instead, their "stem" is made from the tightly packed bases of their huge leaf stalks.

What Eats Musa Plants?

Some insects like to eat Musa plants. The young forms, called larvae or caterpillars, of certain Lepidoptera species (which are butterflies and moths) feed on Musa leaves. For example, the caterpillars of the Giant Leopard Moth and other moths from the Hypercompe group enjoy munching on these plants. Some of these moths include H. albescens, H. eridanus, and H. icasia.

See also

Learn more about Musa in Spanish! In Spanish: Musa (desambiguación) para niños

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