Abacá

Abacá ( ;  ), binomial name Musa textilis, is a type of banana. It is native to the Philippines. It is grown as a commercial crop in the Philippines, Ecuador, and Costa Rica. The plant, also known as Manila hemp. It is very important to the economy. It is harvested for its fiber, also called Manila hemp, extracted from the leaf-stems.

The plant grows to , and averages about . The fiber was originally used for making twines and ropes. It is used in a variety of paper products including tea bags, filter paper and banknotes.

References

Category:Musaceae