BANANA CULTURE IX HAWAII 45 
The Popoulu banana may be eaten raw or cooked. The maturing 
fruit is tender and ripens rapidly; hence, is a poor shipper for export 
trade. 
Plant*. — Medium to low growing; commonly about 14 feet tall: trunk, green, 
about 8 inches in diameter at base: leaves. 7 feet long, 2<> Inches greatest 
width: petioles. 18 inches long, green, midrib of younger growth often tinged 
with pink: usually few suckers forming small clumps (pi. IT. Ai. 
Flowers. — Staminate flowers extend from rachis of half-grown bunch of 
fruit, each 5.7 centimeters long: ovary, white, with slight greenish cast: 
perianth, ridged longitudinally, whitish, washed with rose red at base on 
marginal portions: lobes, bright yellow, two outer and middle prominent, two 
intermediate, shorter, narrow, and more upright; petal, bladdery, but grooved 
longitudinally below apicula : margins curved inward with edges turned 
upward: apicula. prominent, with several curves and point usually erect: 
stamens, usually 5, white, sometimes a rudimentary sixth; anthers, consider- 
ably curved outward and with brownish margins. Pollen present. Pistil, some- 
what longer than perianth: style, slim, white, stoutish at base; stigma, small. 
3-lohed, and yellow or orange. Small quantity of nectar in petal at base of 
style. 
Fruit. — Bunches of medium size, compact, weighing 30 to 60 pounds, on 
slender stems. 5 to 8 hands, with 8 to 10 fingers per hand : individual fruits, 
about 7 inches long. 1% inches in diameter, weighing about 5 to 8 ounces, 
usually 5-angled. angle-ridges almost disappearing with ripeness of fruit: basal 
end wide, abruptly tapering into pedicel about 1% inches long; apex blunt 
and well-filled : skin, yellow, medium to thin, inner portion tending to adhere 
to fruit : pulp, firm, light salmon pink ; flavor, pleasing, subacid, applelike : 
core, indistinct. 
KAIO 
The Kaio. or Popoulu Kaio, as it is rather generally designated, 
is one of the leading varieties of the group. It is not so commonly 
cultivated as is the Popoulu, but is much the same in plant char- 
acters and quality of fruit, being distinguished by its longer trunk 
of almost uniform diameter, and more compactly arranged bunches, 
with individual fruits set mostly at right angles to the main stem. 
The individual fruits are also shorter, but of greater diameter 
than those of the Popoulu. The Kaio and other varieties of botli 
the Popoulu and Iholena groups are commonly found growing in 
many of the numerous mountain gorges on the windward sides of 
most of the Hawaiian Islands. 
Plants. — About 18 feet tall: trunks. 8 to 10 inches in diameter, tapering very 
little from base to crown ; outer sheaths, green with pinkish tints extending 
to petioles and midribs of under sides of leaves, particularly of the younger 
growth : leaf blades, about 8 feet long, with greatest width. 20 inches. 
Flowers. — Staminate flower, creamy white: ovary, when fresh, has greenish 
cast : perianth, slightly tinted with pink on back, 5-lobed, 3 of medium size. 
2 intermediate, very small, all tipped with yellow: petal, white to translucent, 
full, even margin: apicula. small and curved outward: stamens. 5. white: 
anthers, brownish, curved outward and usually displaying some pollen: pistil, 
about as long as stamens, slim: stigma, small and yellowish. 
Fruit. — Stem, slender, gracefully arched: bunches, compact: at lower eleva- 
tions, average about 30 pounds in weight; at higher elevations, about 50 to 60 
pounds: 6 to hands. 9 to 11 fruits to hand: individual fruits arranged at 
nearly right angles to main axis. 5 inches long. 2 to 2*1> inches in diameter. 3 
to ." angled, plump, basal end tapering into short, stout, angular pedical; 
apex, very blunt and marked with prominent scar where floral parts were 
formerly attached; <kin. medium to thin and with angle ridges oearly dis- 
appearing at full maturity: pulp, firm, light salmon pink : core, distinct: 
flavor, subacid, applelike. May be eaten raw or cooked. The fully ripe fruit 
is delicious (pi. l.~i. P, i . 
