Another cool looking Musa itinerans from India
 

Just happened across this picture of a Musa itinerans that is a beauty-
ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/009/a0327e/a0327e02.pdf

Re: Another cool looking Musa itinerans from India
 

I'd almost be willing to bet that is a misidentified Musa sikkimensis. It is a beauty though! Wish mine would keep the color on its leaves at that size. Oh well...

Re: Another cool looking Musa itinerans from India
 

That's what I thought at first glance, but they get the benifit of the doubt from me since it kinda looks like it's a running banana. Whatever it is it's looks kinda like the cold hardy version of the Siam 50/50 on the top surface of the leaf.

Re: Another cool looking Musa itinerans from India
 

Nice colouration whatever it is, thanks for the pictures Kyle.:nanadrink:

Re: Another cool looking Musa itinerans from India
 

Omg, not another var of itinerans!!!
:07:

What makes itinerans itinerans anyway? When do you define a banana to be an itinerans? I have read the discriptions in the itinerans var. article, but it's the similarities that I've lost a bit...?
Kind regards,
Remko.

Re: Another cool looking Musa itinerans from India
 

Good question. I'm guessing that it's based on the running ability, and not the flowers since alot of the flowers are so different.

Re: Another cool looking Musa itinerans from India
 

Sikkimensis was my first thought when I saw it as well.

Re: Another cool looking Musa itinerans from India
 

But the running ability is not present in all forms of itinerans (e.g. not in var. tinerans) right?
Kind regards,
Remko.

Re: Another cool looking Musa itinerans from India
 

That's half-correct. Var. itinerans is a runner, but there are varieties that are not (var. guangdongensis, var. chinensis, and var. lechangensis).

Hard to tell from that picture if it is indeed a runner. That coloration just looks a lot like M. sikkimensis. I suppose it's possible that there are more itinerans varieties around though. Dr. Hugo Volkaert told me that he could show me 20 different varieties in Thailand alone!