Ensete ventricosum, commonly known as enset or ensete, Ethiopian banana, Abyssinian banana, pseudo-banana and false banana, is an herbaceous species of flowering plant in the banana family Musaceae. As distinguished from Musa, this plant has a stronger leaf midrib and generally does not produce suckers. It is a fast-growing, evergreen perennial that typically grows to 12-20’ tall, but may reach 30-40’ tall in its native tropical habitat. Huge paddle-shaped leaves (to 10-20’+ long and 2-4’ wide) are bright olive green with prominent midribs. Sheathing leafstalks form a trunk-like structure.
Enset is a very important local food source especially in Ethiopia. The Food and Agriculture Organization reports that "enset provides more amount of foodstuff per unit area than most cereals. It is estimated that 40 to 60 enset plants occupying 250–375 square metres (2,700–4,000 sq ft) can provide enough food for a family of 5 to 6 people.
