40 BULLETIN- 55, 'HAWAII EXPEBIMENT STATION 
KOAE OR AEAE 
The Koae or Aeae banana (No. 5064) is considered one of the 
Maoli group on account of the nature of its growth and fruit. The 
variety thrives best in cool, moist woodlands at elevations of 500 to 
2.000 feet. Both the green foliage and fruit are beautifully striped 
with white, making the plant one of the most attractive of the banana 
varieties. The Koae was known to Hawaiians three generations ago. 
Doctor Hillebrand, who completed his plant investigations in Hawaii 
previous to 1870 and left the islands permanently the following year, 
describes briefly (H, p. 433) what seems to be the Koae. It is the 
only variegated variety growing in Hawaii and familiar to the 
Hawaiians. Higgins (13, p. 50) suggests that it is probably Musa 
sapientum var. vittata, supposed to be indigenous in St. Thomas, off 
the west coast of Africa. However, Fawcett's illustrations and 
description of vittata (11, pp. 214, 215) are not applicable to the 
characters of the Koae or Aeae in Hawaii. Possibly the Koae is a 
bud mutation of some Maoli banana of the Pacific (pi. 14, A). 
Plants. — Clumps usually have few large trunks 10 to 12 feet tall; outer 
sheaths, light green, with slight evidence of pale green, white, or pinkish longi- 
tudinal stripes ; leaves, 9 to 12 feet long, 20 to 26 inches broad ; petioles, green, 
striped longitudinally with white ; margins, pink to red ; blades, bright green 
with 20 to 40 per cent of the surface irregularly blotched with white. 
Flowers. — Pistillate flower, 10.5 centimeters long; ovary, 7 centimeters long, 
very angular, with white longitudinal stripes ; perianth, 3.5 centimeters long, 
creamy white with pinkish to almost chocolate colored streaks ; extremity, 
5-lobed with tips of lighter color ; corolla, one free petal delicately tinged with 
pink ; stamens, rudimentary ; style, stout ; stigma, distinctly lobed ; both usually 
persistent to maturity of fruit. 
Staminate flower, 6.5 centimeters long, rudimentary ovary, 1.7 centimeters 
long, pinkish at base ; perianth like that of pistillate flower ; corolla consists of 
one cream-white free petal with distinct apicula ; undeveloped pistil shorter than 
stamens, which are 4.6 centimeters long; anther, 2 centimeters. All bracts are 
deciduous, reddish brown in color outside with glaucous. Neutral flowers some- 
times persistent , staminate flowers with bracts from rachis in regular order as 
the rachis lengthens. Terminal bud, small. 
Fruit. — Oblong, straight or slightly curved, 6 to 7 inches long, iy 2 to 1% 
inches in diameter ; 3 to 4 angled, almost cylindrical at maturity, blunt, rounded 
apex, pedicel stout, 1% to 1% inches long; style and calyx usually deciduous; 
skin, thick, striped longitudinally with white which almost disappears on yel- 
lowing with ripeness ; pulp, coarse, firm, yellow, and lacking in flavor ; core, 
distinct, but seedless. A fair cooking banana which is rarely eaten raw (pi. 
14, B). 
MA HOE OR PALUA 
The Mahoe or Palua variety (No. 4763) is a favorite in some parts 
of Hawaii on account of the delicious flavor of its fruit. Like most 
of the native bananas, it grows best in moist localities, taking a beau- 
tiful upright form. Probably the most striking peculiarity of the 
variety is the tendency of its flowering stem to branch, which usually 
takes place in the cluster, giving a distinct divided bunch (pi. 2, A). 
The name " Mahoe " means " twin " in Hawaiian. Sometimes the 
branching takes place in the stem just below the cluster, giving two 
distinct bunches, in which case the variety is called " Palua." The 
difference in the two forms, however, is not sufficiently fixed to be 
considered truly varietal. In the first attempt to grow the variety at 
the station (1923-24) the plant produced a single bunch without 
indication of division of stem. The double bunch is unsatisfactory 
