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 Pink Banana (Musa velutina)
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Musa is one of three genera in the family Musaceae. This genus includes bananas and plantains. There are over 50 species of Musa with a broad variety of uses. The word banana came via Portuguese or Spanish from a West African language (possibly Wolof) circa 1597 and is now in most Western languages, whereas the scientific name for the genus is similar to the Arabic and Persian names (موز) for just the fruit. Musa species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Giant Leopard Moth and other Hypercompe species including H. albescens (only recorded on Musa), H. eridanus and H. icasia.
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Wild Musa species
The genus Musa was traditionally classified into five sections (Ingentimusa, Australimusa, Callimusa, Musa and Rhodochlamys) but these have recently (2002) been reduced to three. Previously, the 2n = 20 chromosome species were separated into the sections Australimusa and Callimusa and the 2n = 22 chromosome species were separated into the sections Musa and Rhodochlamys. Recently, studies by Carol Wong and colleagues in Singapore have revealed that genetic differences between each section in the same chromosome group are smaller than those within each section. This means that the traditional separation of the sections can no longer be substantiated. Wong's studies do, however, maintain the separation between the 20 and 22 chromosome species. At present the 14 chromosome Ingentimusa section remains distinct.
Edible bananas
A number of distinct groups of edible bananas have been developed from species of Musa. By far the largest and now the most widely distributed group is derived from Musa acuminata (mainly) and Musa balbisiana either alone or in various hybrid combinations. The next but much smaller group is derived from members of section Callimusa (previously classified as Australimusa) and is restricted in importance to Polynesia. Of even more restricted importance are small groups of hybrids in Papua New Guinea; a section Musa group to which Musa schizocarpa has also contributed and a group of section Musa x section Callimusa hybrids.
From the time of Linnaeus until the 1940's different types of edible bananas and plantains were given Linnaean binomial names, such as Musa cavendishii as if they were species. In fact, edible bananas have an extremely complicated origin involving hybridization, mutation and finally selection by humans. The giving of species names to what are actually very complex hybrids led to endless confusion in banana botany. In the 1940s and 1950s it became clear that the cultivated bananas and plantains could not usefully be assigned Linnean binomials, but are better given cultivar names. An alternate genome-based system for the nomenclature of the section Musa bananas was devised. As mentioned above, the main group of edible bananas are derived from Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana. As an example of the application of the genome based nomenclature system, the plant previously known by the "species" name Musa cavendishii became Musa (AAA group) 'Dwarf Cavendish'. The "new" name shows clearly that 'Dwarf Cavendish' is a triploid, with three sets of chromosomes, all derived from Musa acuminata designated by the letter "A". When Musa balbisiana is involved the letter "B" is used to denote its genome. Thus the cultivar 'Rajapuri' is correctly written as Musa (AAB group) 'Rajapuri'. 'Rajapuri' is also a triploid with two sets of chromosomes from Musa acuminata and one from Musa balbisiana. In the edible bananas genome combinations such as AA, BB, ABB, BBB and even AAAB can be found. No such nomenclature system has been developed for the next group of edible bananas derived from section Callimusa. However, this group is known generally as the "Fe'i" or "Fehi" bananas and there are numerous cultivars of this group in the South Pacific region. They are very distinctive plants with upright fruit bunches and feature in three of Paul Gauguin's paintings. The flesh can be cooked before eating, is bright orange (with a high level of beta-carotene). The Fe'i bananas are no longer very important for food, as imported foods have grown in popularity, although some have ritual significance. Investigations are underway to use the Fe'i karat in prevention of childhood blindness in Pohnpei. [1] It is probable that the Fe'i bananas derive mainly from Musa maclayi although their origins are not as well understood as the section Musa bananas. Cultivars can be formally named as in this example, Musa (Fe'i group) 'Utafun'.
Banana Types
Section Callimusa (incorporating Australimusa)
- Musa alinsanaya
- Musa bauensis
- Musa beccarii [1]
- Musa boman
- Musa borneënsis
- Musa bukensis
- Musa campestris
- Musa coccinea [2]
- Musa exotica
- Musa fitzalanii - extinct
- Musa flavida
- Musa gracilis
- Musa hirta
- Musa insularimontana
- Musa jackeyi
- Musa johnsii
- Musa lawitiensis
- Musa lolodensis
- Musa maclayi
- Musa monticola
- Musa muluensis
- Musa paracoccinea
- Musa peekelii
- Musa pigmaea
- Musa salaccensis
- Musa splendida
- Musa suratii
- Musa textilis (see also Abacá)
- Musa tuberculata
- Musa violascens
Section Musa (incorporating Rhodochlamys)
- Musa acuminata [3]
- Musa angcorensis [4]
- Musa aurantiaca
- Musa balbisiana
- Musa banksii [3]
- Musa basjoo Cold-hardy "fiber banana" [5] [2]
- Musa cheesmanii
- Musa flaviflora
- Musa griersonii
- Musa itinerans
- Musa laterita
- Musa mannii
- Musa nagensium
- Musa ochracea
- Musa ornata
- Musa rubra
- Musa sanguinea
- Musa schizocarpa
- Musa siamea
- Musa sikkimensis
- Musa thomsonii
- Musa velutina
- Musa sp. 'Burmese Blue'
- Musa sp. 'VN1-054'
Notes
- ^ Musa beccarii Simmonds is reported as having a chromosome number of x (= 1n) = 9 and 10, the latter due to multivalent formation during meiosis. Although genetically it nestles comfortably within section Callimusa the chromosome number needs clarification.
- ^ Musa coccinea Andrews has been confirmed as the correct name for the plant often called Musa uranoscopos Lour. in the literature.
- ^ a b Musa banksii F. Muell. is generally considered to be a distinct species rather than a form of M. acuminata.
- ^ Musa angcorensis Gagnep. is poorly known and may not be a good species. It was placed very tentatively in section Callimusa but, if it exists at all, it is more likely to be section Musa.
- ^ Musa basjoo is the most cold hardy species of Musa, growing and fruiting successfully in outdoor cultivation in the British Isles and British Columbia.
External links and references
- Nelson, S. C., R. C. Ploetz and A. K. Kepler. 2006. Musa species (banana and plantain).
- For a detailed discussion of bananas see http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/banana.html
- Wong, S., Kiew, R., Argent, G., Set, O., Lee, S. K., and Gan, Y. Y., "Assessment of the Validity of the Sections in Musa (Musaceae) using ALFP." Annals of Botany 90 (2) : 231 - 238 (2002).
- Suzanne Sharrock, Diversity in the genus Musa, focus on Australimusa See
- Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World, J. B. Lyon Co., Albany, 1919
- David Constantine, The Genus Musa, http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~drc/genusmusa.htm#start
- Musa basjoo
