Cau

**Cau** *musa paradisiaca* téh ngaran umum pikeun tutuwuhan herbaceous ti genus *Musa*, ogé pikeun nyebut buahna. Ieu tutuwuhan téh pituin ti wewengkon tropis Asia Tenggara, tapi kiwari geus dibudidayakeun ampir di sakabéh wewengkon tropis. Dina masing-masing wewengkon cau gaduh ngaran has sorangan, diantarana: *gadang* atawa *gedhang* (Jawa), *biyu* (Bali), *punti* (Lampung), *unti* (Bugis), *koyo* (Ternate), *kula* (Banda), *uri* (Ambon), jeung *tema* (Pulo Seram).

Cau téh anggota kulawarga Musaceae. Sacara tradisional dipelak pikeun diala buah jeung daunna, laju ka dieunakeun diala ogé seratna sarta dipelak pikeun hiasan. Gebogna (*pseudostem*) nu jangkungna bisa nepi ka 2–8 m, sarta panjang daunna nepi ka 3,5 m.

Buah cau ngaranggeuy dina bentuk sisir (20-an) dina turuyna (3-20 sisir), beuratna bisa nepi ka puluhan kilo (30–50&nbsp;kg). Beurat buahna rata-rata 125 gram, nu 75%-na mah cai. Buah cau euyeub ku vitamin A, B6, C, jeung kalium.

Pikeun melak cau, salah sahiji kondisi taneuh anu kedah diperhatoskeun adalah nilai pH taneuh. Kaayaan pH anu optimal pikeun melak cau nyaéta antara pH 5,5 nepi ka 6,5. Pangusaha cau kedahna nganggo pH meter tanah pikeun ngukur pH tanéh lahan anjeunna janten leres pangukuranana.

Kiwari, cau dipelak di 132 nagara, panglobana dibanding bungbuahan séjénna. Lian ti didahar langsung, cau ogé sok dijieun salé jeung kiripikna. Di pasar internasional, cau paling loba diékspor ka AS jeung Uni Éropah.

Cau (*musa sp.*) dibédakeun kana tilu rupa :
# *Musa paradisiaca var. sapientum (banana)* : cau anu bisa langsung *dikonsumsi* di mana geus kolot tur asak, saperti cau ambon, cau lumut, cau raja, cau barangan, jeung sajabana
# *Musa paradisiaca forma typica (plaintain)* : cau anu kudu diasakan heula saméméh dikonsumsi, saperti cau nangka, cau kapas, cau tanduk, cau kepok, jeung sajabana
# *Musa brachycarpa* : cau anu di jerona mibanda siki, saperti cau manggala atawa cau kulutuk.

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## Rupa-rupa cau di Tatar Sunda 
## Ékonomi 
Cau salah sahiji buah anu pangseueurna diproduksi di Indonesia. Nurut data ti Badan Pusat Statistik taun 2016, buah pangseueurna diproduksi di Indonésia per taun 2015 nyaéta:

* Pisang: 7,3 juta ton
* Mangga; 2,2 juta ton
* Jeruk: 1,7 juta ton
* Nanas: 1,7 juta ton
* Durian: 995,8 ribu ton
## Galeri 

Image:Bananas.jpg|Cau 'cavendish' di toko grosir
Image:Banane Rose.JPG|Sababaraha kultivar cau robah kelirna henteu jadi konéng, tapi kalah jadi bungur atawa beureum.
Image:Bananas on countertop.JPG|Cau dijual dina potongan sisir nu teu weuteuh.

## Rujukan 

* Wikipédia basa Inggris. *Banana*. Dicutat 20 Séptémber 2007.
* FAO. Bananas Commodity notes: Final results of the 2003 season , 2004
* Denham, T., Haberle, S. G., Lentfer, C., Fullagar, R., Field, J., Porch, N., Therin, M., Winsborough B., and Golson, J. Multi-disciplinary Evidence for the Origins of Agriculture from 6950-6440 Cal BP at Kuk Swamp in the Highlands of New Guinéa. *Science*, June 2003 issue.
* Skidmore, T., Smith, P. - *Modern Latin America* (5th edition), (2001) New York: Oxford University Press)
*  Brief mention of banana fibre rugs
*  Banana etymology, banana flour

## Tumbu kaluar 
* Complete nutritional information.
* Banana research at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
* International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain (INIBAP)
* International Banana Society (IBS) 
* Honduran Foundation of Agricultural Research: Bananas & Plantains 
* Banana from *Fruits of Warm Climates* by Julia Morton
* Banana Fruit Facts - California Rare Fruit Growers .
* Tracing antiquity of banana cultivation in Papua New Guinea 
* Bananas could split for good
* Bananas not on verge of extinction, says FAO .
* Plant pathologists unpeel rumors of banana extinction 
* The influence of banana stem extract on urinary risk factors for stones
* Weaving Kijoka Banana Fiber Cloth 
* Washington Banana Museum  (loba pisan gambarna, boh poto antik atawa iklan)
* Anatomy of Banana Flowers 
* A future with no bananas? From New Scientist, 13 May 2006
* Concern at vanishing bananas, FAO urges search for wild banana species, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 3 May 2006 
* Banana, spread from India by Alexander the Great, threatened on home turf – UN News center, 3 May 2006
* Without a genetic fix, the banana may be history, by David Ewing Duncan, the San Francisco Chronicle, April 5, 2004 
*Soil pH requirements for growing banana