Scientific Name : Michelia figo (Lour.) Spreng.
Common Name : Banana Shrub
Chinese Name : 含笑
Family : MAGNOLIACEAE
Local distribution status : Exotic species
| Origins | The provinces of Southeast China such as Guangdong and Fujian. |
|---|---|
| Ecology | The leaves of Banana Shrub serve as one of the larval food plants of Graphium agamemnon (Tailed Jay) and Graphium doson (Common Jay). |
| Vitality | Banana Shrub shows excellent tolerance to shade, but good planting prefers full sunlight and warm environments. |
| Application | Banana Shrub has dense foliage and is always shaped into hedges or bushes for a great deal of functional or decorative purposes. Its flowers are fragrant and the extracts are antimicrobial. The flowers are also esculent and can be processed into flowering tea. The flower buds are the primary source of traditional Chinese medicines for treating abnormal menstrual periods. The leaves are externally used for treating injuries from falls. |
| Meanings of name | Its flowers are fragrant and smelled like a banana, hence named as ‘Banana Shrub’. Interestingly, the flowers often open in half, like giving people a shy and reserved smile, so it is also known as "smiling".. |
| Growing habit | Evergreen shrub. |
|---|---|
| Height | To 3 m. |
| Stem | Bark dark grey, slightly rough, multi-branched. |
| Leaves | Leaves alternate. Blade narrowly elliptic or obovate-elliptic, apex obtusely acute, base cuneate or broadly cuneate, adaxially glossy and glabrous, abaxial midvein covered with brown appressed hairs. Young twigs, buds, petioles and peduncles are covered by yellowish brown tomentose pubescence. Long stipular scar reaching the apex of petiole. |
| Flowers | Tepals 6, pale yellow, base and margin sometimes red or purple. Conspicuous gynoecium stalk in pale yellow colour. Flowers sweetly fragrant. |
| Fruits | Follicles ovoid or globose, apex with a small beak. |
| Flowering period | March to May in Hong Kong. |
| Fruiting period | July to August in Hong Kong. |
Scientific name above is based on Hong Kong Herbarium website :
https://www.herbarium.gov.hk/en/hk-plant-database/plant-detail/index.html?pType=species&oID=3436
Scientific names from other databases
― Flora of China : Michelia figo (Loureiro) Sprengel
― Plants of the World Online : Magnolia figo (Lour.) DC.