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View Full Version : 4 Varieties of Musa yunnanensis named


bigdog
04-26-2009, 03:17 PM
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

Caloosamusa
04-26-2009, 04:33 PM
Wow! Thank you for the information and the source citing Bigdog!! I think I will focus my efforts on M. Yunnanensis var jingdongensis !!! :2239:

1rainman
04-29-2009, 03:10 PM
where can you get these? Are there any good fruiting varieties that can grow outside in a cold climate?

bigdog
04-29-2009, 03:50 PM
where can you get these? Are there any good fruiting varieties that can grow outside in a cold climate?

As far as I know, you'd have to go to China to get the newly-described varieties. As far as fruiting varieties for a cold climate...define cold, lol! Gainesville, FL could be considered cold for fruiting bananas. Do a search in the cold-hardy forum on this site for ideas.

Frank

51st state
04-29-2009, 05:37 PM
maybe we could order some from Nature products

but then again

lets not :ha:


p.s. Frank, I will finally get around to some shipping at the weekend

1rainman
04-29-2009, 09:45 PM
I've been hearing legends about new banana trees that bear edible fruit and can be grown in the midwest.