I was out today with the intention of photographing the
M/a ssp truncata with fruit and flower. It turned out I got more than what I wanted!
On my way back from the Northern side of the Central highlands at approx 1,000ft asl, I became curious when I saw many, many clumps of musa with a non glaucous leaf underside. I stopped my car for a closer look and couldn't make out what they were. Then an aborigine boy happen to walk along and I asked him how many types of wild 'naners are found in this area. He told me 'two' I asked him whether he knows of the spp with an upright flower and he pointed to a steep slope about 40 ft high. Up there was a flowering musa about 8ft in p/stem height. I asked him to cut it down for me to see and to my surprise, it is a
Musa gracilis! Then I looked around me,
they were ALL Musa gracilis!!! Man, I am not exaggerating, the whole area must be at least 2 hectares! Can you believe how stunned I was?
I then asked him to help me get the corm off the slope, as it is easier to climb up than to go down a creek. At least you know where you are falling down to, with a creek, you won't know where you will roll off to if you slip. It took us about 1/2 hour to extract the corm with his machete and my army entrenching tool. On my way down, I suddenly realized I was
stepping on seedlings! They were everywhere! I picked a couple off and later walked around and took a couple more of the red blotched ones.
If you ask me, I am still in a shock on finding this
Musa gracilis stronghold. Man, and I thought they were really rare when they are listed as vulnerable. Whew! Gotta have a cigar now...Cheers
At first I did not realize they were
Musa gracilis as I have read they are small plants. It was only I saw the flower and fruits that I was shocked to see so many of them everywhere.
Contrary to belief, a minority (like a few %) of sdlgs actually have red mottled leaves. Compare it to the center plant which is a mottled
M/a ssp malaccensis,
M gracilis is lighter in tone and more yellowish green.
I had to show my ugly mug again..and my disgusting cigar.. My haul was 13 seedlings, a 10lb+ corm, flower and fruits and some assorted plants.
