Musa vittata

Musa vittata W. Ackermann ex E. Rodigas, Flore des Serres, t. 1510 - 1513 (1862 - 1865).

Accepted name ? Musa (AAB group) 'Vittata'
Synonyms Musa vittata Hooker, Bot Mag. t. 5402
Authorities I have inferred the accepted name by analogy with Musa (AAB group) 'Koa'e' from Stover & Simmonds 1987.
Section  
Distribution  
Description "Leaves and long fruits copiously striped with white.  Spathes bright red inside."

(Baker 1893)

References Anon 1906 : 22, Baker 1893: 213, Champion 1967 : 43, Graf Exotica, Horaninow 1862, Lessard 1992, RHS 1956, Stover & Simmonds 1987.
Comments Baker says that this plant was imported (into Europe) from the island of St. Thomas, or Sao Tomé, West Africa.  On the other hand Lessard says 'Vittata' is the same as the Hawaian cultivar 'Koa'e' ('Aea'e') which is derived from or at least sometimes reverts to the cultivar 'Maia maoli' (or to 'Popoulu' according to Lessard).

This is one of a number of variegated Musa.  Others include:

Musa basjoo 'Variegata'
Musa (AAA group) 'Dwarf Cavendish' several un-named clone
Musa (AAB group) 'Koa'e' = Musa (AAB group) 'Aea'e'
Musa (AAB group) 'Banane panachee'
Musa (AAB group) 'Anil Vazhai' or 'Variegated French Plantain'

Variegated bananas are unstable sectoral chimeras.  This instability prevents them being micropropagated very easily so they tend to be propagated conventionally and therefore rather slowly.  Coupled with their desirability as ornamentals, they are thus not readily obtained compared to non-variegated types and are relatively expensive.  Variegated plants arise occasionally as 'sports' during micropropagation but such plants almost always 'grow out' of the variegation.

Images.

There is one image of Musa (AAB group) 'Vittata'


 


last revision 23 April 2003