Quote:
Originally Posted by Botanical_Bryce
Gabe, is there a source for the bluggoe varieties? For id that is.
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No, not really. In fact, there are no published broad ID guides for any subgroups yet (as far as I know), it is something that is being actively worked on, but it is quite a complex task, and there will always be cultivars that resist neat classification with established groups.
My best advice is to download as many germplasm catalogs as you can and study them. You can find a good starter set at
Musa Network, and select "publications" and download the files under "diversity studies" and "catalogues".
Also, this page is very far from complete, but has a basic framework for cataloging the known diversity, especially take notice of the "Banana Cultivar Checklist":
Diversity of banana cultivars portal | Knowledge and news on bananas from ProMusa
My expertise, which still feels novice at times in the presence of my mentors and peers who have been studying bananas longer than I've been alive, has largely come from seeing thousands of different bananas up close, in my farms and gardens, in botanic gardens, field collections, villages, and in the wild, and I am always learning and seeing more. It is important to pair the hands-on knowledge with literature, but of course the literature is far more accessible, so it is a good place to start, but will not be able to give a really accurate/full fleshed representation of the diversity out there.