30 BULLETIN 55, HAWAII EXPERIMENT STATION 
originated. " Borobora " is said to have been translated into the 
Hawaiian language as " polapola," and this in turn corrupted in 
English into "bolabola," by which term it is sometimes improperly 
called. 
The Borabora banana, botanically known as Musa fehi, is reported 
as growing in the forests of a number of islands of the tropical 
Pacific. It makes its best growth without cultivation in the higher 
valleys where there is an abundance of rain, but will grow under 
desirable conditions at the lower elevations. Fine specimens are 
not uncommon in Hilo and other similar localities (pi 10, A). 
The variety often produces seeds at higher elevations, just as a 
number of other varieties of the species do at elevations of about 
3,000 feet in the Society Islands. A striking peculiarity of the 
variety is its very large scape or stem, which stands erect, holding 
the bunch of fruit upright instead of hanging over as in most 
varieties. On account of its beautiful form and shiny green leaves, 
the plant is of value as an ornamental. 
Plants. — Clumps, very large ; suckers freely ; growth, vigorous, upright, often 
reaching 36 feet tall; trunks 15 to 20 feet long; base, black, upper portions, 
green; leaves 10 to 15 feet long; petioles, short and stout; blades often 20 to 30 
inches wide, shiny green above and lighter green below. The juice of the 
trunk and petioles is violet colored and darkens upon exposure. 
Flo ice rs. — Arranged in compact panicles, standing erect on stout scape. 
Pistillate flowers with long style and uncommon, divided stigma. Nectar 
secretion about base of style. Ovary, dark green, 4-angled, hard, 3-celled. 
conspicuous core; calyx, 5.5 centimeters long, cream in color shading to pink, 
tipped with four light colored points, the outer two being largest ; corolla 
consisting of one free petal, rigid, translucent or creamy white, 3.3 centimeters 
long, terminating in broad but sharp apicula ; stamens, 5 or 6. about 5 cent- 
meters long, with drab anthers ; bracts long, narrow, tending to be persistent 
to near maturity of fruit. 
Staminate flowers. 7.5 centimeters long ; ovary, 1.5 centimeters lohg, apple 
green in color; calyx, split on one side as in species of sapientum, cream colored 
at base, changing to pink along dorsal part toward the four whitish tips ; 
petal same as in pistillate flower ; stamens. 5 or G. each 5 centimeters long, 
white, terminating in drab anthers possessing abundance of white pollen ; 
pistil, slim, long as stamens, cream colored; stigma, small; bracts, long, narrow, 
deciduous, and apple green in color. 
Fruit. — The bunch sometimes weighs 50 pounds, and remains erect to full 
maturity ; number of hands, few, usually about six ; individual fruits stand 
obliquely, are straight and angular, sessile, and pointed at apex ; skin, thick. 
< range to copper colored ; pulp, greenish sulphur-yellow, very firm, seedless 
when grown at lower elevations, but with distinct core; rachis extends only 
little beyond the pistillate flowers, the bud is small, oblong, tapering to a 
sharp point (with pistil dried remaining persistent, covered with greenish 
bracts sriped longitudinally with lighter green). Bud and extended rachis 
fall away before maturity of fruit, giving space to the most terminal fruits. 
The fruit is of good flavor when cooked (pi. 10, B). 
ICE CKEAM 
The station obtained its first plant of the Ice Cream banana (Xo. 
4480) on January 28, 1908, from a local grower who was unable to 
give its origin. A study of the variety from other countries indi- 
cates that it is the Cenizo of Central America and the West Indies 
where it is classified by some authorities as an apple plantain. In 
the Philippines the variety is described as a true banana of the 
variety Krie (C. A. Xo. 5396) (15, p. Gl). Its source and by whom 
it was introduced into Hawaii have not been determined by the 
writer. 
