Info:Groups and Subgroups

From Bananas Wiki

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Revision as of 00:16, 8 October 2023

Contents 1 Groups and Subgroups 1.1 AA Group 1.1.1 Sucrier Subgroup 1.1.2 Ungrouped AA 1.2 AB Group 1.3 BB Group 1.4 AAA Group 1.4.1 Cavendish Subgroup 1.4.2 Gros Michel Subgroup 1.4.3 Red Subgroup 1.5 AAB Group 1.5.1 Plantain Subgroup 1.5.2 Pome Subgroup 1.5.3 Silk Subgroup 1.5.4 Iholena Subgroup 1.5.5 Maoli-Popoulu Subgroup 1.6 ABB Group 1.6.1 Bluggoe Subgroup 1.6.2 Saba Subgroup 1.6.3 Ney Mannan Subgroup 1.6.4 Pisang Awak Subgroup 1.7 BBB Group 1.8 AAAA Group 1.9 AAAB Group 1.10 AABB Group 1.11 ABBB Group 2 References

Groups and Subgroups

Scientists have struggled with how to classify the relationships between banana varieties ever since their discovery. In the present day, a system of groups and subgroups are used to indicate relationships, while still being flexible enough to accommodate frequent changes. Chromosome count and approximate ratio of parentage are used to indicate genome groups. For example, a plant with 65% M. acuminata and 35% M. balbisiana parentage and three chromosome sets would be classed into the AAB Group. Subgroups are then utilized to indicate that certain cultivars are more closely related. Because these groupings are artificial constructs, they cannot display the full complexity of relationships between cultivars. An AAB cultivar may be more closely related to an AA cultivar it was bred from, and more distantly related to another AAB cultivar.

AA Group

This genome group technically includes wild-type M. acuminata bananas, though there are a number of domesticated cultivars without seeds. Seedless bananas in the AA Group are ranked among the more primitive varieties, as they are fewer steps removed from their wild counterparts.

Sucrier Subgroup

• Sucrier
• Mai'a Hapai

Ungrouped AA

• Kru
• Veinte Cohol
• Rose

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AB Group

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BB Group

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AAA Group

Cavendish Subgroup

Most bananas sold at grocery stores today come from the Cavendish Subgroup.

• Chinese
• Gran Nain (Chiquita)
• Valery

Gros Michel Subgroup

Cultivars in the Gros Michel Subgroup were the previous banana of choice. They still exist in small collections, but are no longer viable for mass production due to disease vectors.

• Highgate
• Cocos

Red Subgroup

Cultivars in the Red Subgroup produce red bananas (with the exception of Green Red). They often bear other descriptors that indicate where the plant was brought from, like 'Jamaican Red' or 'Cuban Red'. Generally speaking, those names refer to the same banana cultivar, and are historical quirks rather than distinct varieties.

• Red
• Dwarf Red
• Green Red

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AAB Group

Plantain Subgroup

There are two understandings of what a plantain is; either it refers to cooking bananas, or to the Plantain Subgroup of cultivars that are from Africa. All cultivars of the Plantain Subgroup are coincidentally best utilized as cooking bananas.

• African Rhino Horn

Pome Subgroup

Silk Subgroup

Iholena Subgroup

Along with the Maoli-Popoulu Subgroup, these are sometimes informally called 'Pacific Plantains'. While often utilized as cooking bananas, some Iholena varieties can be ripened enough to eat raw as a dessert banana. New Iholena leaves exhibit a bronze/purple/mauve leaf underside, the fruit peels turn yellow before being ripe, and are orange to pink fleshed.

• Mai'a Iholena Iholena
• Mai'a Iholena Kapua
• Mai'a Iholena Lele

Maoli-Popoulu Subgroup

Along with the Iholena Subgroup, these are sometimes informally called 'Pacific Plantains'. The cultivars of the Maoli-Popoulu Subgroup are starchy, often used as cooking bananas, and are sometimes split into separate subgroups of Maoli and Popoulu.

• A'ea'e/Koae/Manini
• Hua Moa
• Lahi
• Manai'ula

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ABB Group

Bluggoe Subgroup

Perhaps one of the most widely grown, members of this group are known by many names across the globe. There are some distinct varieties, but by and large most are recognizably the same cultivar.

• Orinoco/Bluggoe/Burro/Horse
• Dwarf Orinoco
• Silver Bluggoe

Saba Subgroup

• Praying Hands

Ney Mannan Subgroup

The famed Blue Java banana, aka Ice Cream banana, was historically placed in the Bluggoe Subgroup. A later study on its genome recategorized it into the Ney Mannan Subgroup.

• Blue Java/Ice Cream

Pisang Awak Subgroup

With the namesake variety being a quality dessert banana, this banana subgroup has seen widespread adoption by international communities. Sometimes plants from this subgroup are marketed as 'Ice Cream', conflicting with 'Blue Java' being sold under the same name.

• Namwa/Pisang Awak/Ducasse
• Dwarf Namwa

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BBB Group

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AAAA Group

AAAB Group

AABB Group

ABBB Group

References

This page is a work in progress.