i just want to say I'm in no way an expert bu here is some info that i think is informative and explains some of what the Ae Ae is all about
Varig8 (miamimax)is quoted as saying:
"Now as for AeAe and variations on sucker coloration and amounts of variegation in them; AeAe is a somatic variegate as opposed to a genetic *variegate- (a 'sport'or chimera). Genetic variegates are stable and come true from seed and can easily be tissue cultured. In AeAe the amount of *variegation in each plant depends on; #1. How much mutant tissue is in the apical meristem, and #2. Where that mutant tissue is in the apical *meristem when a sucker is developing in the corm. This mutant tissue moves and revolves around the apical meristem. Some AeAe have LOTS of *white, some have a little with shades of different greens and greys.Some AeAe are completely green. They are ALL still AeAe. When the AeAe *produces suckers, they will oftentimes produce pure white suckers, which die right away if removed, or languish while feeding off the mother *until it eventually dies. It will also send up some normal green suckers, and then you'll get a few nice evenly proportioned variegated suckers. *This is the reason they remain expensive. The better variegated plant you start with, the better chance you have at getting more variegated *suckers, as this plant will have more mutant tissue in it's apical meristem." - source on the gardenweb forum at
The things that are sold on Ebay - Banana Forum - GardenWeb
sours: Bananas.org/Varig8
Also from the Kiki:
Quote from Bigdog:
"There are periclinal, mericlinal, and sectorial arrangements in the apical meristem that can produce variegation. Periclinal arrangements are *where a layer of mutated tissue completely surrounds an inner core of nonmutated tissue. Mericlinal arrangements are where cells that carry the *mutant gene occupy only a part of the outer cell layer of the plant. Sectorial arrangements is where the mutated tissue involves a sector of the *stem but extends all the way from the surface to the center. This type is rare, usually only occuring in an embryo or root tip, and quickly *reverts to either periclinal or mericlinal chimeras. I believe that the AeAe fall under the mericlinal category. I'm not really certain what *somatic variegation is...although I thought it had something to do with tissue culture. Anyhow, tissue culturing a mericlinal chimera would *result in an all-green or all-white plant it would seem, depending on where the tissue was taken on the apical meristem."
Sours: Bananas.org/Bigdog
so in the above texst i think lies some of the answers as to why they are varigated and how they do what they do but and this is just a hypothesis on my part in watching my Ae Ae and also my Siam Ruby iv noted that they do seem if i move them to more or less light to make changes in how much green they have on there leafs so i believe that thy have and ability to sense light and make changes in growth patterns that enable them to survive i think the Ae Ae is one of the most complex and interesting of all the Bananas just from the information i have and also i believe that in understanding them we can gain a better understanding of how all Bananas grow and adapt to there environments
i hope that helped