The genus Musa - an annotated list of species

by David Constantine



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The genus Musa.

The genus Musa was first described by the pre-Linnean Rumphius.  The name may derive from mauz (mouz or moz) the Arabic word for the banana fruit, but it was accepted by Linnaeus because it could have been in commemoration of Antonius Musa (63 - 14 BCE) who was physician to the first Roman Emperor, Octavius Augustus.

In the entries for individual plants I sometimes make reference to Simmonds and Shepherds' Musa genome nomenclature system and sometimes use it to give the accepted name of the plant. 






Information on bananas can be found at the following web pages:

California Rare Fruit Growers
"Canoe Plants" of Ancient Hawai'i
Julia Morton on banana
Promusa
RBG Kew
Tico Ethnobotanical Dictionary 
USDA ethnobotany database



For a recent review of biotechnology as applied to Musa see Crouch et al 1998.




  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




 

 



Please note that this is NOT a list of all known Musa species but of all published Musa species names.  The vast majority of these names are not valid.   If you want a definitive list of all known Musa species then please go to the Summary.

Musa abaca
Musa acuminata
Musa acuminata subsp. acuminata
Musa acuminata
subsp. alasensis Nas
Musa acuminata
subsp. banksii
Musa acuminata subsp. bantamensis
Nas
Musa acuminata subsp. breviformis Nas
Musa acuminata
subsp. burmannica
Musa acuminata subsp. burmannicoides
Musa acuminata subsp. cerifera
Nas
Musa acuminata
subsp. errans
Musa acuminata subsp. flava
Nas
Musa acuminata
subsp. halabanensis
Musa acuminata subsp. longipetiolata
Nas
Musa acuminata
subsp. malaccensis
Musa acuminata
subsp. microcarpa
Musa acuminata subsp. nakaii
Nas
Musa acuminata
subsp. rubrobracteata
Musa acuminata subsp. rutifiles
Nas
Musa acuminata
subsp. siamea
Musa acuminata
subsp. sumatrana
Musa acuminata subsp. tomentosa
Nas
Musa acuminata
subsp. truncata
Musa acuminata
subsp. zebrina
Musa acuminata
'Sumatrana'
Musa acuminata forma acuminata
Musa acuminata forma cerifera
Musa acuminata
forma lutea
Musa acuminata
forma rubra
Musa acuminata
forma rutilipes
Musa acuminata
var. culta
Musa acuminata
var. violacea
Musa acutibracteata
Musa africana
Musa agharkarii
Musa aiori
Musa airoi
(de W)
Musa alinsanaya
Musa alphurica
Musa amboinensis
Musa angeviensis
(de W)
Musa angcorensis
Musa angustigemma
Musa aphurica
Musa aracanensis
(de W)
Musa arakanensis
Musa aranakensis
Musa arnoldiana
Musa assamica
Musa aurantiaca
Musa baccara
Musa bacoba
Musa bagshawei
Musa bakeri
Musa balbisiana
Musa balbisiana var. andamica
Musa balbisiana var. brachycarpa
(Chit & Comb)
Musa banksiana
Musa banksii
Musa banksii
var. banksii
Musa banksii
var. muelleriana
Musa banksii var. samoensis
Musa banksii var. singampatti
Musa basjoo
Musa basjoo
'Fuji-Yama'
Musa basjoo 'Fuyi-Yama Variegata'
Musa basjoo
'Sakhalin'
Musa basjoo 'Salmon'
Musa basjoo 'Sapporo'
Musa basjoo 'Tchechenia'
Musa basjoo 'Variegata'
Musa basjoo 'Wilsonii'
Musa basjoo
x hybridum
Musa bauensis
Musa beccarii
Musa berteri
Musa berteroi
Musa berteroniana
Musa bicolor
Musa bidigitalis
Musa bihai
Musa boman
Musa borneënse
Musa borneënsis
Musa brachycarpa
Musa brieyi
Musa brownii
Musa buchananii
Musa bukensis
Musa sp.
'Burmese Blue'
Musa calosperma
Musa campestris
Musa campestris subsp. campestris
Musa campestris subsp. glabra
Musa campestrus
var. campestris
Musa campestris
var. lawasensis
Musa campestris
var. limbangensis
Musa campestris
var. miriensis
Musa campestris
var. sabahensis
Musa campestris
var. sarawakensis

Musa carolinae
Musa cavendishii
Musa celebica
Musa ceramica
Musa cerifera
Musa champa
Musa chapara
Musa charlioi
Musa cheesmani
Musa chevalieri
Musa chiliocarpa
Musa chinensis
Musa cinerea
Musa cliffortiana
Musa coccinea
Musa coccinia
Musa consociata
Musa corbieri
Musa corneri
Musa corniculata
Musa dacca
Musa dasycarpa
Musa davyae
Musa dechangensis
Musa decrescens
Musa decrescens
var. viridis
Musa discolor
Musa domestica
Musa dulcissima
Musa dybowskii
Musa elata
Musa elephantorum
Musa emasculata
Musa ensete
Musa ensete
var. montbeliardi
Musa enseteformis
Musa erecta
Musa errans
Musa errans
var. basilisae (Quis)
Musa errans var. botoan (Quis)
Musa esculuntum
Musa exotica
Musa fecunda
Musa fehi
Musa fei
Musa fitzalanii
Musa flava
Musa flavida
Musa flaviflora
Musa formosana
Musa gigantea
Musa gilletii
Musa glauca
Musa gracilis
Musa griersonii
Musa halabanensis
Musa harmandii
Musa hillii
Musa hirta
Musa holstii
Musa homblei
Musa hookeri
Musa humilior
(de W)
Musa humilis
Musa hybrida
Musa imperialis
Musa ingens
Musa ingrata
Musa insularimontana
Musa itinerans
Musa itinerans
var. gigantea
Musa jackeyi
Musa jaheri
Musa japonica
Musa javanica
Musa johnsii
Musa kaguna
Musa kantally
(de W)
Musa karang
Musa kattuvazhana
Musa kewensis
(de W)
Musa lacatan
Musa lanceolata
Musa lasiocarpa
Musa laterita
Musa laurentii
Musa lawitiensis
Musa liukiuensis
Musa livingstoniana
Musa lolodensis
Musa lushanensis
Musa lutea
Musa luteola
Musa maclayi
Musa maclayi
subsp. ailuluai
Musa maclayi
subsp. maclayi
Musa maclayi
subsp. maclayi var. erecta
Musa maclayi
subsp. maclayi var. maclayi
Musa maclayi
subsp. maclayi var. namatani
Musa maculata
Musa malaccensis
Musa malaccensis
forma cerifera
Musa mangindanas
Musa mannii
Musa martabanica
Musa martini
Musa martinii
Musa martreti
Musa martretiana
Musa massoni
Musa massonii
(de W)
Musa massonii var. massonii (de W)
Musa maurelii
Musa megalocarpa
Musa mensaria
Musa mexicana
Musa microcarpa
Musa mindanensis
Musa minor
Musa mirabilis
Musa monticola
Musa muluensis
Musa nagensium
Musa nana
Musa nepalensis
Musa nigra
Musa ochracea
Musa odorata
Musa oleracea
Musa oranocensis
Musa orientum
(de W)
Musa ornata
Musa ornata
var. normalis
Musa pallida
Musa paracoccinea
Musa paradisiaca
Musa paradisiaca
'Koa'e'
Musa paradisiaca royalii
Musa paradisiaca
'Vittata'
Musa paradisiaca subsp. normalis
Musa paradisiaca subsp. oleracea
Musa paradisiaca
subsp. sapientum
Musa paradisiaca subsp. seminifera
Musa paradisiaca subsp. seminifera var. dubia
Musa paradisiaca subsp. seminifera var. hookeri
Musa paradisiaca subsp. seminifera var. pruinosa
Musa paradisiaca subsp. seminifera var. thomsoni
Musa paradisiaca subsp. troglodytarum
Musa paradisiaca var. champa (de W)
Musa paradisiaca var. compressa (de W, Bl)
Musa paradisiaca var. dacca
Musa paradisiaca var. dubia (de W)
Musa paradisiaca var. formosana
Musa paradisiaca var. glaberrima (Bl)
Musa paradisiaca var. glauca (Bl)
Musa paradisiaca var. hookeri (de W)
Musa paradisiaca var. kantally (de W)
Musa paradisiaca var. lacatan (Bl)
Musa paradisiaca var. longa (Bl)
Musa paradisiaca var. magna (Bl)
Musa paradisiaca var. martabanica (de W)
Musa paradisiaca var. massonii (de W)
Musa paradisiaca var. maxima (Bl)
Musa paradisiaca var. mensaria (de W)
Musa paradisiaca var. odorata (de W)
Musa paradisiaca var. oleracea (de W)
Musa paradisiaca var. pruinosa (de W)
Musa paradisiaca var. pumila (Bl)
Musa paradisiaca var. rarukala (de W)
Musa paradisiaca var. regia (de W)
Musa paradisiaca var. rubra (de W)
Musa paradisiaca var. sanguinea
Musa paradisiaca
var. sapientum
Musa paradisiaca
var. seminifera
Musa paradisiaca
var. suaveolens (Bl)
Musa paradisiaca var. subrubea (Bl)
Musa paradisiaca var. ternatensis (Bl)
Musa paradisiaca var. thomsonii (de W)
Musa paradisiaca var. tombak (Bl)
Musa paradisiaca var. ulnaris
Musa paradisiaca
var. violacea
Musa paradisiaca
var. viridis
Musa paradisiaca
var. vittata (de W)
Musa peekelii
Musa peekelii
subsp. angustigemma
Musa peekelii
subsp. peekelii
Musa perrieri
Musa pierrei
Musa pigmaea
Musa polycarpa
Musa prematura
Musa proboscidea
Musa procera
Musa protractorachis
Musa pruinosa
Musa purpureo-tomentosa
Musa raoulii
Musa rarukala
(de W)
Musa rectispica
Musa regalis
(de W)
Musa regia
Musa religiosa
Musa rhinozerotis
Musa rhodochlamys
Musa riperti
Musa rojo
Musa rosacea
Musa rosea
Musa roseacea
Musa rothiana
Musa ruandensis
Musa rubida
Musa rubinea
Musa aff. rubida
(RBGE)
Musa rubra
Musa rubronervata
Musa rumphiana
Musa rutifiles
(Back. ex Nas.) ?
Musa salaccensis
Musa sanguinea
Musa sapidisiaca
Musa sapientum
Musa sapientum
var. champa
Musa sapientum
var. cubensis
Musa sapientum
var. dubia
Musa sapientum
var. gambicola
Musa sapientum
var. pruinosa
Musa sapientum
var. rubra
Musa sapientum
var. seminifera
Musa sapientum subsp. seminifera forma pruinosa (M. bal.)
Musa saporro
Musa sativa
Musa schizocarpa
Musa schweinfurthii
Musa seemanii
Musa seemannii
Musa seminifera
Musa serapionis
Musa siamea
Musa siamensis
Musa sikkimensis
Musa silvestris
Musa simiarum
Musa simiarum
var. corniculata
Musa simiarum
var. culta
Musa simiarum
var. sylvestris
Musa simiarum
var. violacea
Musa sinensis
Musa speciosa
Musa splendida
Musa suaveolens
Musa sumatrana
Musa sumatrana
'Rubra'
Musa sundaica
Musa superba
Musa suratii
Musa sylvestris
Musa textilis
Musa textilis
var. amboinensis (de W)
Musa textilis
var. tashiroi
Musa thompsoni
Musa thomsonii
Musa sp.
"Tibet"
Musa tikap
Musa tomentosa
Musa trichocarpa
Musa troglodytarum
Musa troglodytarum
var. acutaebracteata
Musa troglodytarum var. dolioliformis
Musa troglodytarum
var. errans
Musa troglodytarum var. textoria
Musa troglodytarum
var. typica
Musa truncata
Musa truncata var. horizontalis
(Holltum p.)
Musa tuberculata
Musa ulugurensis
Musa uranoscopos
Musa uranoscopus
Musa velutina
Musa ventricosa
Musa violacea
Musa violascens
Musa viridis
Musa vittata
Musa voonii
Musa sp.
VN1-054
Musa wilsonii
Musa
x paradisiaca
Musa
x paradisiaca 'Koa'e'
Musa x paradisiaca 'Vittata'
Musa x paradisiaca normalis
Musa
x paradisiaca oleracea
Musa
x paradisiaca sapientum
Musa
x paradisiaca seminifera
Musa
x paradisiaca seminifera var. dubia
Musa
x paradisiaca seminifera var. hookerii
Musa
x paradisiaca seminifera var. pruinosa
Musa
x paradisiaca seminifera var. thomsonii
Musa
x paradisiaca troglodytarum
Musa
x paradisiaca var. dacca
Musa x paradisiaca var. formosana
Musa x paradisiaca var. sanguinea
Musa
x paradisiaca var. sapientum
Musa
x paradisiaca var. seminifera
Musa
x sapientum
Musa
x sapientum var. champa
Musa
x sapientum var. cubensis
Musa
x sapientum var. dubia
Musa
x sapientum var. liukiuensis (Baker)
Musa
x sapientum var. pruinosa
Musa
x sapientum var. rubra
Musa
x sapientum var. seminifera
Musa sp.
"Yangtse"
Musa sp.
"Yunnan"
Musa yunnanense
Musa yunnanensis
Musa zebrina
Musa zebrina
forma immaculata (Nakai)
Musa zebrina
var. culta (Nakai)
Musa zebrina
'Rojo'
Musa zollingeri (RBGE)

           

 


last revision 27 December 2004