Musa textilis
 

This is Musa textilis (abaca fiber), and the only true to type specimen I have seen growing the in the US (at the Waimea Valley Audubon Center on the north shore of Oahu Hawaii). Everything other "Musa textilis" I have seen is either M. balbisiana (Ito-Basho fiber) or a M. balbisiana variant or hybrid (very interesting, not abaca, but possibly what is sometimes called canton fiber, a rare M. balbisiana and M. textilis hybrid).

Re: Musa textilis
 

Gabe15,

Do you have any idea why there are so many Musa sp. (especially Musa balbisiana, isn't it?) mislabeled as Musa textilis? Could it be mix-ups or interchanges from some specimen collecting or research centers?

And fruits on the 2 Musa textilis photos you shared are not ripe yet. Do you know the shape and size of matured fruits of true textilis? (As for color, I guess it's simply yellow. Is it?) Do they look like balbisiana?

BTW, I also saw your photos of true textilis in the thread "Banana ID." They look quite different from this one to me! Is it just variations between individuals or that they are in different physiological stages? Or else?

Thanks!

Re: Musa textilis
 

thanks for posting in this foum.

Re: Musa textilis
 

Are you aware of a variety of textilis that is called ebony? You might surmise that it has black pseudostems. I found it here: Musa textilis (Ebony) - buy seeds at rarepalmseeds.com

Whether it is real or not I don't have the slightest idea. But a kid can dream. :lurk:

Or is it just really a balbisiana variety?