01871naa a2200241 a 450000100080000000500110000800800410001902200140006010000180007424500750009226000090016752012680017665000120144465300190145665300100147565300130148565300090149865300120150765300080151970000170152770000190154477300660156316330072023-04-17       1994    bl uuuu     u00u1 u    #d  a0003-47461 aBURDON, J. N.  aThe peel of plantain and cooking banana fruits.h[electronic resource]  c1994  aThe peel of the plantain and cooking banana fruit protects the edible pulp from the surrounding envirironment. The peel of those cultivars examined contained 85-90% water and between 28 and 60 mg dry weight cm-2 surface area. The ratio of fruit pulp to peel fresh weights differed between cultiars (1.18-2.28). The surface area of the fruit can be determined from the fresh weight using regression equations for individual cultivars or for all cultivars combined. The stomatal density was generally higher at the fruit tips than at the mid region. Significant differences in stomatal length and density were indentified between cultivars althorgh no trends existed between plantains and cooking bananas. There was little difference in the quantity of epicuticular wax on plantains whereas there were differing amounts on cooking bananas. Differences in was composition between cultivars and for wax extractes with hot or cold chloroform were indentified. Removal of the epicuticular wax with chloroform accelerated the rate of weight loss. The use of hot chloroform increased both the amount of wax removed and also the rate of weight loss. The effect of removing the epicuticular wax on water loss is discussed and illustrated with scanning electron micrographs.  astomata  aCooking banana  aFruit  aMusa spp  aPeel  aPlantin  aWax1 aMOORE, K. G.1 aWAINWRIGHT, H.  tAnnals of Applied Biologygv.123, n.2, p.391-402, Oct., 1994.