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View Full Version : flowering Musa itinerans var. xishuangbannaensis/itinerans update


Eric-Orlando,FL
03-13-2008, 04:27 PM
Here are some photo staken today of the Musa itinerans var. xishuangbannaensis/itinerans (whichever variety it is). It has produced a long inflorescence stalk but no fruit. Also, a 2nd trunk in this clump has started flowering.

Here is the flowering stalk. Notice how long it is but no fruit.

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc37/Leu51/Bananas/img_0789.jpg

closeup

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc37/Leu51/Bananas/img_0788.jpg

2nd trunk starting to flower

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc37/Leu51/Bananas/img_0790.jpg

bigdog
03-13-2008, 10:29 PM
Hi Eric, thanks for the pictures! I have to believe now, after reading the description for var. xishuangbannaensis and for var. itinerans, that you have var. itinerans. Interesting about having no fruit at all! Were there female flowers? If so, then it must be var. itinerans, because var. xishuangbannaensis has basal hermaphrodite flowers and you would have some seeded fruit hanging there. Another way to tell is to cut a petiole and see what color the sap is. If it is watery-red, it is var. xishuangbannaensis. If it is var. itinerans, it will have watery milky sap. How long are the longest rhizomes? Seems like some of them were upwards of 10 feet or so, right? Var. itinerans is only supposed to have a maximum rhizome length of 2 meters. Maybe it is another, as yet undescribed variety of Musa itinerans! Email me if you still have my email address, please.

Eric-Orlando,FL
03-14-2008, 07:36 AM
No red sap, just a semi-clear watery one. So far none of the rhizomes seem to be more than 5ft. long There are about 10 trunks in the clump.

The seed for this came from Nature Products. It was supposed to be what they sold as Musa sp. nov., the one with the photo of the giant flower. Obviously it isn't that Musa, the "bud" is much smaller and not as bright colored.

Thanks for your ID. I don't have your email but mine here is eric.schmidt@cityoforlando.net

tony palmer
06-18-2008, 07:13 AM
Hi Eric,
Lovely looking banana, so is this the same species as Franks hardy Musa itinerans var. itinerans , Haw tall is the flowering stem, it’s a shame Nature products don’t sell seeds anymore it looks like it’s going to be another hard banana to get.


Tony

natedogg1026
06-19-2008, 12:06 AM
Nice nana Eric.

Velutina
06-19-2008, 01:55 AM
What does that tall trunk belong to in the first two pics?

Raules
06-19-2008, 06:14 AM
Excellent photos! It is a pity, that there is no fruit.

Eric-Orlando,FL
06-20-2008, 07:44 AM
What does that tall trunk belong to in the first two pics?


It is a trunk of Schizolobium parahyba, Fern Tree. It is a legume tree native to tropical rainforests in Central and South America. For the first few years the tree is very fast growing and unbranched. It has hufe pinnate leaves and looks like a giant tree fern. Once it reaches 30-40ft it begins to branch.

The tree in the photo is a different specimen in the Garden than the one in the banana photo. It is about 3 1/2 years old from seed. It branched last year and is forming a canopy.

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc37/Leu51/Flowering%20Trees/img_0463.jpg

Eric-Orlando,FL
06-20-2008, 07:46 AM
Excellent photos! It is a pity, that there is no fruit.

Hopefully some of the other trunks will flower later this year and maybe set fruit. I would like to distribute seed if they do. So far 2 trunks have flowered but no fruit set.

Velutina
06-20-2008, 10:27 AM
Wow, that's an amazing plant! I wish it could survive where I live.

dablo93
06-20-2008, 01:24 PM
thanks for the pics,
and the Schizolobium parahyba looks beautiful!