harveyc

Thanks, Tog. Okay, I can eat the fruits and start an entire plantation spitting those seeds out! :P

Pete just reminded me of that joker who sells "Ae Ae seeds" on eBay; maybe he's selling these?

Steven has told me that this is not a very sensitive plant, though. He grows it in full sun and it is a strong grower for him (much stronger than Ae Ae) and that I shouldn't be surprised if it gets to 8-10 feet tall this summer. I'm hoping so!

Harvey

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Tog Tan

Come to think of it, you are gonna be rich selling the seedlings from the seeds germinated. 1 bunch of M-a has at least 7 hands of fruits with approx 8 fingers each. Each fruit has approx 106 seeds (yes, I idiotically counted a whole hand!) So that makes at least 6,048 seeds! Say you have 50% germinations and you sell each plant for $ 20, you will get $ 60,480!!! Happy?

Oh yeah Harvey, M-a-s-siamea gets to be 9ft tall. I think they do better in the cooler clime over at your end. I find it a bit sensitive to the heat of our full sun here though. Best of luck man!

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Tog Tan has sadly suddenly passed away 6/16/09. We will miss you Tog Tan.

Greenie

Chironex

Looks like a banana on life support!

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Scot

varig8

Tog, and friends..........I must tell you that I had one of these albo "Wild Asian bananas", AKA Indonesian Ivory, AKA Tanna, AKA Ta Nee, AKA Bluggoe, AKA Silver Bluggoe, AKA Ad nauseum.........in the ground and it was at least 12' tall and still growing-had not yet flowered before it toppled from a storm..........Maybe the albo variety which Harvey now has, isnt Siamea, which MIGHT be the Thai Aurea I just got? Something to think about.................

harveyc

You make my head spin, Steve. In a good way!

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Tog Tan

I think I made the mistake here....hmmm...I thought Harvey got the Aurea from you. No? Ok, Steven, this is how the story goes from my friend in Bkk;

Basically there are 4 forms of Variegated 'naners offered in Bkk;

1. The Yellow Variegated aka Aurea is the Musa acuminata subsp siamea which grows to about 8ft tall. Lots of yellow on the leaf with little bit of green. When young, looks sickly.

2. The Var Indon Ivory (this, Harvey's?) is actually a Variegated Musa balbisiana which came from Indonesia. This grows big to 14ft. Color is green and white like the Ae Ae but more green. A damn robust grower.

3. Var Kluay Nam Wah which is an edible cultivar and it costs more than the other 2 in Bkk cos...it's edible!

4. Var Ae Ae, everyone knows what this is rite...? When it first came to Bkk, it was known as Var Florida cos some guy took it back from Florida.

I got the info from my friend who is a Prof in a uni there and he got me 2 of each of the above stuff. Apparently there is still one more Var 'naner which is yet to be released into the market. Yes, I am waiting for it!

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Tog Tan has sadly suddenly passed away 6/16/09. We will miss you Tog Tan.

mm4birds

To clarify then,is Florida variegated the same as AeAe except for the overseas flight? I recall someone claiming that Florida has a seeded fruit unlike AeAe which is unseeded.

chong

I wish that I can tell you. But my 2 Floridas from Thailand croaked! It is possible that, as Tog says, that M. Florida is AE-Ae; and that anyone who got sold one under the same name, but which produced seeded fruits, was just sold a fake.

Bananaman88

I think I've read that the one sold as Florida Variegate may be a variegated balbisiana.

Tog Tan

These 2 plts are the Var M balbisiana aka Tanee which I got from Bkk 2 months ago. The new leaves have become darker than when it first came in.


Chong, mm4birds, if the Var Florida is from Thailand, it should be the Ae Ae as it was hand carried in from Florida and that's how it got its name. But then knowing the Thais, it also could be the Var M balbisiana which is similar in coloration except it has more green than white. It is only recently that one guy is selling the Ae Ae as the Ae Ae there. It is sold for about 5,000b. Confusing?

Most people in Thailand are unaware that the Tanee or Var Giant Indon is actually the M balbisiana. It is the same for the Siam Ruby, in Bkk, it is known as Indon Daeng or Red Indon. As to how the M balbisiana got to Indonesia, I still can't find the answer as it does not originate from there.

The Indon Var M balbisiana got there only a few years back as there was alot of hand carried trading for the Thai Aglaonema and foliage Anthurium cos the Indons were really crazy about them. The Indons were there in different groups every week buying huge quantities of plants on the wholesale day at Chatuchat market and then taking them back. They all stay at one particular hotel which allow people to have plant materials in their rooms. You should see the Indons practically working in shifts packing their plants in the corridors of the hotel! I met some of them and they asked me to help them get the Anthurium Jungle Bush. When Thailand ran out of Anthuriums, they came to M'sia to get them. Man, and you guys think you are plant crazy!

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Tog Tan has sadly suddenly passed away 6/16/09. We will miss you Tog Tan.