Popoulu bananas
Popoulu bananas are indigenous to the Pacific region. They were originally classified in their own subgroup (often designated as Maia Popoulu, Maia being the Hawaiian term for bananas), but are increasingly classified together with Maoli bananas in the Maoli-Popoulu subgroup.
Main morphological characteristics
The fruits are plump square-ended and noticeably thick in diameter. Most fruits are 2-3 times as long as they are wide1 .
Popoulu bananas are distinguished from Maoli bananas by having shorter and fatter fruits.
References
1
Kepler, A.K. and Rust, F.G. 2011. The world of bananas in Hawai'i: then and now. Traditional pacific and global varieties, cultures, ornamentals, health and recipes. Pali-O-Waipi'o press, Hawaii. 586p.
Further reading
Ploetz, R.C., Kepler, A.K., Daniells, J.W. and Nelson, S.C. 2007. Banana and plantain: an overview with emphasis on Pacific island cultivars Musaceae (banana family). p27. In: Elevitch, C.R. (ed.). Species profiles for Pacific Island agroforestry. Permanent Agriculture Resources, Holualoa (USA).