Musa uranoscopos

Musa uranoscopos
G. E. Rumphius, Herbarium Amboinense, 5: 137 (1750).
Musa uranoscopos J. de Loureiro, Flora Cochinchinensis, 645 (1790).
Musa uranoscopos Seem.


Musa uranoscopos G. E. Rumphius, Herbarium Amboinense, 5: 137 (1750).

Accepted name none - undetermined cultivated form of a Fe'i banana.
Synonyms Musa troglodytarum L. in part.
Authorities Cheesman 1948a.
Section Australimusa
Distribution  
Description  
References Cheesman 1948a : 11-12, Cheesman 1950q : 29, Merrill 1935 : 116, Sagot 1887 : 329.
Comments This a pre-Linnaean name for a clone of a Fe'i banana and not to be confused with Musa uranoscopos Lour. (see below). 

E. D. Merrill commented on Rumphius' plant and it's distinction from Loureiro's in his commentary on Loureiro's Flora Cochinchinensis.   "From the local name cited by Loureiro it appears that his specimens were from Indo-China.  His description is manifestly based on actual specimens, not on the pre-Linnaean Musa uranoscopos Rumph. (Herb. Amb. 5: 137), cited as a synonym and the source of his specific name. In my work on Rumphius (p. 149) I referred this to Musa paradisiaca Linn. But I am now convinced that what Rumphius actually had was a form of Musa fehi Bert. as he describes it as having erect inflorescences; the term uranoscopos used by Rumphius is merely a translation of the Malay toncat langit, literally meaning to look at or watch the sky."

I have not yet seen Rumphius' Herbarium Amboinense but Cheesman 1948a gives Musa uranoscopus as Rumphius' spelling for this plant, unlike Merrill.  It may be tempting but it would be dangerous to try to differentiate Rumphius' and Loureiro's plants in the literature based on their spelling.

Musa uranoscopos Rumph. was re-named by Linnaeus as Musa troglodytarum although confusingly he also included what we now know as Musa balbisiana Colla within that entity.


Musa uranoscopos
J. de Loureiro, Flora Cochinchinensis, 645 (1790).

Accepted name none - undetermined cultivated form of a Fe'i banana.
Synonyms  
Authorities See comments below.
Section Australimusa
Distribution  
Description  
References Argent 1984, Argent & Kiew 2002, Backer & Bakhuizen 1968, Baker 1893 : 220, Champion 1967 : 43, Cheesman 1950q : 29, Flora Guandong, Flora of China, Graf Exotica & Tropica, Griffiths 1994, GRIN, Huxley 1992, INIBAP, Makino 1979, Merrill 1935 : 116, Mobot Tropicos, Moore 1957 : 181, RHS 1956, Wu & Kress 2000.
Comments M. uranoscopos Lour. is consistently linked with M. coccinea in the literature although the relationship between the two is confused.  Argent & Kiew 2002 have recently argued that M. uranoscopos Lour. is effectively the same as M. uranoscopos Rumph. and that M. coccinea is the correct name for the red flowered Callimusa in cultivation.

Musa uranoscopos Seem.

Accepted name none - undetermined cultivated form of a Fe'i banana.
Synonyms  
Authorities  
Section Australimusa
Distribution  
Description  
References Anon 1906 : 18, Baker 1893
Comments  



 


last revision 23 April 2003