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-   -   Musa basjoo-Not from Japan? (http://www.bananas.org/f15/musa-basjoo-not-japan-6918.html)

Bananaman88 01-17-2009 09:27 AM

Musa basjoo-Not from Japan?
 
OK, so we all know the common name of M. basjoo is the Japanese Fiber Banana. However, upon reading through my latest Plant Delights Catalog I noticed that in their description of the plant they report that recent research has revealed that M. basjoo is actually from the Sichuan province of China. Is this new news or have I missed this little discovery somewhere along the way?

Basjoofriend 01-17-2009 11:09 AM

Re: Musa basjoo-Not from Japan?
 
Yes, you are right, Musa basjoo is not a Japanese banana species, it's from China. Häkkinen was also in China and saw there wild Musa basjoo.

Best wishes
Basjoofriend

dablo93 01-17-2009 12:27 PM

Re: Musa basjoo-Not from Japan?
 
Musa basjoo sakhalin is not from the russian Sakhalin, but also from china.
but they are cultivated alot in Japan.
maybe like that here are a lot of tulips cultivated but they come from Eastern europe and Asia.

Chironex 01-17-2009 04:11 PM

Re: Musa basjoo-Not from Japan?
 
I have also read that it originated in the Sichuan province of China.

asacomm 01-17-2009 07:02 PM

Re: Musa basjoo-Not from Japan?
 
Every musas growing or widly planted in Japan came from Southern China or
South East Asia. As far as I know, there are no musas originated in this country.
Even Okinawan edible bananas and fibre bananas came from those regions
above mentioned.

Gabe15 01-17-2009 08:17 PM

Re: Musa basjoo-Not from Japan?
 
This has been known for a very long time, but for some reason the name has always stuck for a long time. It was introduced to Japan from China a long time ago. Infact, it was not even the banana used for fiber in Japan. The true Japanese fiber banana (Ito Basho) is a form of M. balbisiana.

Bananaman88 01-17-2009 11:10 PM

Re: Musa basjoo-Not from Japan?
 
Thanks for the info guys. The common name is sort of misleading, which is why, as a horticulturist, I never cared for common names.

chrisltropical 01-19-2009 01:07 AM

Re: Musa basjoo-Not from Japan?
 
Some of my favorite hardy plants come from Sichuan. Bamboo's, BLE's etc.

If it wasn't for China, gardeners living in my zone would probably have very few exciting plants. Thank you China!

:bananas_b

Chironex 01-19-2009 01:14 AM

Re: Musa basjoo-Not from Japan?
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisltropical (Post 61714)
Some of my favorite hardy plants come from Sichuan. Bamboo's, BLE's etc.

If it wasn't for China, gardeners living in my zone would probably have very few exciting plants. Thank you China!

:bananas_b

I couldn't agree more! China is a place that I want to visit soon! Probably won't allow me to bring anything back, but photos will be fabulous.
Now if I can just find a way to pay for airline tickets....

tony palmer 01-19-2009 09:32 AM

Re: Musa basjoo-Not from Japan?
 
Just to wet your appetite Scot!! Have a look at this thread I have done on hardy tropicals. Some pictures of sub-tropical plants from Gaoligongshan South western Yunnan, many of the plants would be hardy to half-hardy for us, and lots of them are new to science, hence know name.

Hardy Tropicals - View topic - Pictures of plants from Gaoligongshan

Tog Tan 01-19-2009 10:13 AM

Re: Musa basjoo-Not from Japan?
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Chironex (Post 61717)
I couldn't agree more! China is a place that I want to visit soon! Probably won't allow me to bring anything back, but photos will be fabulous.
Now if I can just find a way to pay for airline tickets....

Scot, No.1 for the ticket, sell all your 'naners:ha:
No.2, the Chinese customs don't bother what gets out, it's how it will get into the US - this is a fact, trust me! :ha:

Go to Southern China bordering Vietnam. Lots of goodies there especially their very nice and weird cycads. The foliage will drive you wild. I have some of them and they are terrific. You can check out rarepalmseeds.com's archive and look at C debaoensis, C multipinnata and others. They have a subterranean trunk and the leaf gets to 8ft in height. This bunch of cycads have the finest looking foliage in the family.

griphuz 01-20-2009 07:41 AM

Re: Musa basjoo-Not from Japan?
 
Strange that Japan apparently does not have it's own Musa species, and Taiwan does,...it's a bit closer to china mainland, ok....but still...
Kind regards,
Remko.

asacomm 01-20-2009 07:54 PM

Re: Musa basjoo-Not from Japan?
 
Hello griphuz,

It is not strange that there are no originated musas in Japan.
Except Ryukyu istands(Okinawa diestricts), the winter is relatively cold enough
to record freezing points so often and there was no such a condition where
musas grew wild. But during these some hundreds years, not only Basjoos but
also other musas including Japanese Fiber bananas and some edible musas
had been indtroduced first to the Okinawan districts and then spread to to
other regions where the climate are relaritvely comfortable to these plants.
Thus especially Basjoos are seen wild everywhere in this country, but even
now we can seldom see edible bananas planted outside in the ground any-
where except Okinawa near Taiwan.

Chironex 01-20-2009 08:40 PM

Re: Musa basjoo-Not from Japan?
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Tog Tan (Post 61759)
Scot, No.1 for the ticket, sell all your 'naners:ha:
No.2, the Chinese customs don't bother what gets out, it's how it will get into the US - this is a fact, trust me! :ha:

Go to Southern China bordering Vietnam. Lots of goodies there especially their very nice and weird cycads. The foliage will drive you wild. I have some of them and they are terrific. You can check out rarepalmseeds.com's archive and look at C debaoensis, C multipinnata and others. They have a subterranean trunk and the leaf gets to 8ft in height. This bunch of cycads have the finest looking foliage in the family.

I am afraid that once I make it to China, I won't want to leave. Seriously!


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