Musa schweinfurthii
Musa schweinfurthii K. M. Schumann & O. Warburg ex K. M. Schumann, In: A. Engler et al (eds.) Das Pflanzenreich. Engelmann, Leipzig, 1900 - . 4, 45 : 14. (1912). (sometimes abbreviated to Musa schweinfurthii K. M. Schumann).
Musa schweinfurthii sensu Hutchinson & Dalziel, Flora of West Tropical Africa ed. 1., 2 (2): 328 (1936).Musa schweinfurthii K. M. Schumann & O. Warburg ex K. M. Schumann, In: A. Engler et al (eds.) Das Pflanzenreich. Engelmann, Leipzig, 1900 - . 4, 45 : 14. (1912).
Accepted name Ensete ventricosum (F. M. J. Welwitsch) E. E. Cheesman, Kew Bulletin 2 (2): 101 (1947) and R. E. D. Baker & N. W. Simmonds, Kew Bulletin 8 (3): 405 (1953) with correction in Kew Bulletin 8 (4): 574 (1953). Synonyms 1. Ensete schweinfurthii (K. M. Schumann & O. Warburg) E. E. Cheesman, Kew Bulletin 2 (2): 103 (1947).
2. Musa chevalieri F. Gagnepain, Bull. Soc. Bot. France 55 Mem. 8: 87 (1908) and A. J. B. Chevalier, Novitates Florae Africanae in Mémoires de la Société Botanique de France 8: 31 - 109 (1908).
3. Musa martretiana A. J. B. Chevalier, Bull. Soc. Acclim. Paris: 79 (1907) nomen, and in Rev. Bot. Appl. 14: 507 (1934) but not M. martreti A. J. B. Chevalier ex Tribune Hortic. 3: 38 (1908) nomen nudum and likely err. typ. for M. martretiana.
4. Musa riperti A. J. B. Chevalier, Expl. Bot. Afr. Occ. Franç. 1: 632 (1920).Authorities The source for the accepted name is Baker and Simmonds 1953 as corrected (see below).
The sources of the synonyms are as follows:1. is from Cheesman 1947a.
2. is from Cheesman 1947a ex Hutchinson & Dalziel 1936 but this is a mistake (see below).
3. & 4. are from Cheesman 1947a ex Hutchinson & Dalziel 1936 but Baker & Simmonds 1953: 409 reject these taxa as nomen nudum.The World Checklist of Monocotyledons gives Musa schweinfurthii K.Schum. & Warb. in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 45: 14 (1900) as a synonym of Ensete schweinfurthii (K.Schum. & Warb.) Cheesman, Kew Bull. 2: 103 (1947 publ. 1948) and Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman, Kew Bull. 2: 101 (1947 publ. 1948) which is listed as an accepted name.
Section Distribution "Niam-Niam, central Africa" = South-east Sudan. Description Trunk not very inflated at base. Leaves 7 to 8 ft. long, 15 in. broad. Inflorescence drooping. Bracts ovate-lanceolate, about 1 ft. long by 3½ in. broad, subtending 10 - 12 flowers. Perianth to 2 in. long, entire, not cuspidate ; free petal entire. Seeds small, somewhat globular. (Schumann 1912, Fawcett 1913).
References Baker & Simmonds 1953 : 405, Cheesman 1947 : 103, De Wildeman 1903 : 83, De Wildeman 1912 : 354, Fawcett 1913 : 276, Hepper 1968 : 69, Hutchinson & Dalziel 1936 : 328, Lock 1993 : 5, Mobot Tropicos, Schumann 1912 : 14, Simmonds 1960 : 210. Comments This was one of a number of African Musa transferred to Ensete by Cheesman in his 1947 paper reviving the genus Ensete. It was later reduced to a synonym of Ensete ventricosum by Baker & Simmonds 1953 as corrected (please refer to R. E. D. Baker & N. W. Simmonds, Kew Bulletin 8 (4): 574 (1953)). It is now recognised that there are no wild Musa native to Africa, only Ensete. The synonymy of this plant is a little complicated. The original description of Musa schweinfurthii by Schumann was rather poor but according to Baker & Simmonds 1953 "the large leaf in Herb. Kew strongly suggests [E. ventricosum]." This is not exactly a ringing endorsement of the identity of the plant but for the time being it is taken as adequate. The species was confused with Musa gilletii De Wildeman by Hutchinson and Dalziel who were apparently misled by comments of Chevalier. This led to Musa chevalieri wrongly being brought into synonymy. Hutchinson and Dalziel also listed Musa martretiana and Musa riperti as synonyms of the type but these names were later rejected as nomen nudum by Baker & Simmonds.
Isotype: Schweinf. ser. II, no. 130, Reise nach Central-Africa im Auftrage der Humboldt-Stiftung in Herb. Mus. Paris.
Images:
There is one external image of the isotype Musa schweinfurthii at the Aluka website http://www.aluka.org.
Musa schweinfurthii sensu Hutchinson & Dalziel, Flora of West Tropical Africa ed. 1., 2 (2): 328 (1936).
Accepted name Ensete gilletii (E. A. J. De Wildeman) E. E. Cheesman, Kew Bulletin 2 (2): 103 (1947). Synonyms Musa gilletii E. A. J. De Wildeman in Rev. Cult. Colon. (Paris) 8, 71 (1901): 102, and in Not. Pl. Ut. Inter. Fl. Congo 1 (1903): 73 seq. and t. 5 & 6.
Musa chevalieri F. Gagnepain, Bull. Soc. Bot. France 55, 58, Mem. 8: 87 (1908), and A. J. B. Chevalier, Novitates Florae Africanae in Mémoires de la Société Botanique de France 8: 31 - 109 (1908).Authorities The authorities for the accepted name are Baker & Simmonds 1953 and Hepper 1968. The synonyms are from Hepper 1968.
Section Distribution Description References Baker & Simmonds 1953 : 407, Cheesman 1947 : 103, Hepper 1968 : 69, Hutchinson & Dalziel 1936 : 328, Lock 1993, Mobot Tropicos. Comments Musa schweinfurthii was confused with Musa gilletii De Wildeman by Hutchinson and Dalziel who were apparently misled by comments of Chevalier. This also led to Musa chevalieri wrongly being brought into synonymy. last updated 01/05/2008