Mark Hall

I have just got myself a Yangze valley banana and know very little about it other than it was collected by Martin Gibbons in the yangze valley at 2,500 mtrs. It looks very similar to a basjoo but it differs by two little flaps on the leaf stem where it joins the petiole and apparently the petiole closes back up after the new leaf has emerged. The plant I have is around 5 ft tall with two small pups ready to burst into growth.

Is anyone in the states growing this or even heard of it ?

Here's a few pics.

Attached Images

	Yangze Valley 1.JPG (112.1 KB, 35 views)
	Yngtze V leaf blade.JPG (105.8 KB, 21 views)
	Yangtze V stem.JPG (101.9 KB, 21 views)

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Time Flies like an Arrow.....Fruit flies like a Banana.

Gabe15

You will have to grow it out and find out. There are many new banana species and varieties of known species out there, more than might ever be published officially. The leaf base is similar to M. balbisiana, and there are many different distinct varieties of this species. So as per usual, without a flower or firsthand field experience in the region, its hard to say anything about it.

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

bigdog

I've heard of this one, but it's not available in the States yet. Wish it was! It definitely has some Musa itinerans qualities to it, with the papery wings at the petiole bases, and the leaf bases are similar also (also to M. balbisiana, like Gabe said, and M. thomsonii). Since Gibbons collected it, when is he going back for seeds? He and Toby should have that on the website soon!

Mark Hall

Thanks Guys. It must have been collected quite a few years ago because the chap that I got mine from has a very large clump in his gardenthat are well established. And his first plant was a pup from the first plant that was taken from the wild. Apparently the plant that Martin collected was planted out in an open field and it got cut to the ground by frosts and the following year a few pups emerged and thats how he got his plant. It must have some cold tolerants to have survived outside in the UK as we have had some very sharp frosts over the last few years.

Here's a pic of his main clump.There is also Sikkimensis on the lefthand side.

Attached Images

DSCF0127.JPG (113.8 KB, 27 views)

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Time Flies like an Arrow.....Fruit flies like a Banana.

bigdog

The picture of the clump is pretty telling! Based on the tightness of the clump, I don't think it is Musa itinerans. It also has quite a bit of wax on the petioles and upper pseudostem, which is not in the original description of M. itinerans. Sure does look a lot like the picture of the banana they have listed as M. itinerans on RPS:



And what Agri-starts sells as Musa itinerans:



Whatever it is, it is different from the pics I posted, but still similar in many ways. Musa yunnanensis is a possibility also, or a variety of Musa balbisiana.

JoeS475

Mark, what is that ginger you have in the foreground of the first picture? My 'Luna Moth' is just starting to flower, but looks nowhere near like that!

~Joe

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Gabe15

Musa yunnanensis has very different leaf bases, much like M. acuminata (they are closely related), I don't think it is M. yunnanensis.

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

Mark Hall

Joe the ginger is Devon Cream A.K.A Great Dixter. It is a cross between
Garderianum and Corinarium.

Over here a lot of our gingers are just starting to come into flower.




I have just found out that some people think Yangze valley is the same as Tibet. My small Tibet died so I can't compare it.

Attached Images

2007_0827general0074.JPG (108.7 KB, 9 views)

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Time Flies like an Arrow.....Fruit flies like a Banana.

bigdog

Gabe, that would kind of blow my whole theory! I am going by the picture on the Nature Products website here. Look at the leaf base on the leaf that is at the top of the picture, just right of center. Looks a lot like M. balbisiana to me...



http://natureproducts.net/Forest_Pro...ans_small.html