flowering Musa itinerans var. xishuangbannaensis/itinerans update
 

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.



closeup



2nd trunk starting to flower

Re: flowering Musa itinerans var. xishuangbannaensis/itinerans update
 

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.

Re: flowering Musa itinerans var. itinerans update
 

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

Re: flowering Musa itinerans var. xishuangbannaensis/itinerans update
 

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

Re: flowering Musa itinerans var. xishuangbannaensis/itinerans update
 

Nice nana Eric.

Re: flowering Musa itinerans var. xishuangbannaensis/itinerans update
 

What does that tall trunk belong to in the first two pics?

Re: flowering Musa itinerans var. xishuangbannaensis/itinerans update
 

Excellent photos! It is a pity, that there is no fruit.

Re: flowering Musa itinerans var. xishuangbannaensis/itinerans update
 

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.

Re: flowering Musa itinerans var. xishuangbannaensis/itinerans update
 

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.

Re: flowering Musa itinerans var. xishuangbannaensis/itinerans update
 

Wow, that's an amazing plant! I wish it could survive where I live.

Re: flowering Musa itinerans var. xishuangbannaensis/itinerans update
 

thanks for the pics,
and the Schizolobium parahyba looks beautiful!