4 Varieties of Musa yunnanensis named
Markku Hakkinen has an article out in the Nordic Journal of Botany that describes four distinct varieties of Musa yunnanensis (Vol. 26, 317-324, 2008). They are:
M. yunnanensis var. yunnanensis. This is the variety that seems to be the one that is in cultivation here in the US, based on the description. Pseudostem to 5m. 8 hands of fruit.
M. yunnanensis var. caii. Only has three hands of fruit, pseudostem 4m.
M. yunnanensis var. yongpingensis. 10 hands of fruit, pseudostem 6m tall.
M. yunnanensis var. jingdongensis. 10 hands of fruit, pseudostem 4m tall.
The var. jingdsongensis seems to be only known from a few cultivated plants. Var. yongpingensis is known from about 50 cultivated plants, but no wild populations were found in Yunnan. It's speculated that it is native to Burma, since the populations were found near the Burma border. Var. caii is known from a few wild populations and a bunch of cultivated populations.
All of the new varieties are found at high elevations, and are frost-tolerant. Ahh...just 3 more on my wishlist, lol.
Frank
|