coast crab

So does Musella splendida really exist?

I did a site search and came up with this by Gabe from an old thread "New spp (Vietnam)". It's actually about Musa splendida (completely different) and from 2008.

"Musa splendida and Musella splendida are 2 different species. Some people do not think Musella splendida is truly a new species, and it was just a newly discovered population of Musella lasiocarpa, but as of now it is still a valid distinct species. Based on personal communication with someone who knows bananas very well and has seen both Musellas up close, it is different enough to warrant being a new species."

Not much in wiki or google. Does anyone have anything new to add?

Thanks.

Russell

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Gabe15

Nothing new has been published about it, so as it stands it's still valid. At the very least if it is published that it is not a new species one day, then it will still be regarded as a newly found wild population of a species thought to be extinct in the wild (Musella lasiocarpa). It is rare and I far as I know, not in cultivation for distribution anywhere.

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Growing bananas in Colorado, Washington, Hawaii since 2004. Commercial banana farmer, 200+ varieties.

coast crab

Thanks Gabe.

I didn't realize that lasiocarpa was found in the garden of a buddhist monastery near the border to Myanmar, and has not been found in the wild. The splendida story is really interesting either way - a wild population of lasiocarpa or something new. If it is new I hope it lives up to its splendid name and is better looking than lasiocarpa!

Russell

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Bananaman88

I've heard several people who do not like the looks of M. lasiocarpa. I personally think it is a beautiful banana. I love the bluish-green leaves, the fact that the leaves rarely, if ever, shred in the wind, and then the flower is just awesome! I have been growing it for over 7 years and it is probably my most carefree banana. To each his or her own, however!

coast crab

Yes, I suppose I'm one of those people.

Maybe mine would be prettier in more shade. As for the carefree part, I can't say that either. It's the only one I have that I really have to watch for black caterpillars. Once they do their damage there's no going back, and it seems to be the only one they like.

The upside is that it came from Lowe's and didn't cost much!

Russell

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Gabe15

I heard recently that the Musella splendida specimen was actually described from a garden plant, which makes the whole thing rather more confusing since M. lasiocarpa is a widely cultivated plant and has been moved around by people, especially by Buddhist monasteries. It is still a technically valid species, but sometime in the future it may undergo revision and be reclassified. The plant really doesn't look like anything different from M. lasiocarpa, and the reported differences are minor (if they are valid at all).

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Growing bananas in Colorado, Washington, Hawaii since 2004. Commercial banana farmer, 200+ varieties.

Markku Hakkinen

Hi,
Musella splendida is described by Valmayor based on one cultivated plant in Vietnam. I have studied the details of it at Pho Tho research station in North Vietnam and as well as in Yunnan. It is just synonym of Musella lasiocarpa. However, it is validly published so one has to reduce it to synonym Of M. lasiocarpa.
Markku.