Stats

Lifespan

6-12 yrs

Size

Large

Diet

Photosynthetic

Biome

Tropical montane forest

Range

Sub-Saharan Africa

Movement

Sessile

Breeding

Seeds

Status

Uncommon

About

This giant herb grows along the eastern edge of the Great African Plateau. Its thick, water-storing trunk can reach a diameter of over one meter at the base.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   seed

   A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2. 2.
   sprout

   A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3. 3.
   sapling

   A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4. 4.
   mature

   Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Tracheophyta

Class

Liliopsida

Order

Zingiberales

Family

Musaceae

Genus

Ensete

Species

Ensete ventricosum