Musa itinerans 'Indian Form'

Indian Banana

One new banana species of the section Musa from Northerneast India, which is closest related to Musa basjoo. This species could have a good potential as outdoor banana for colder regions and also as a good cross partner for Musa basjoo. It might be hardy to USDA zone 7.

The genuine Musa itinerans differs much from Musa sp. Yunnan, which was introducted to Europe some years ago and was labeled wrongly as Musa itinerans in the seed business.

This species has one unusual feature, it forms runners and even forms them in the distance of to 2 metres from the motherplant, this I also saw in Angatuba in Brazil with own eyes.

At origin places in Assam and Manipur the nominal form Musa itinerans grows mostly in narrow ravines in the undergrowth and grows in the clearings or at forest edges to 4 or 5 metres tall. The males flowers have very decorative redbrownish bracts with lateral yellowish stripes, typical for the species. The seeds are relatively small, 5 to 7 mm wide and light angular.

Recently this new form of Musa itinerans was discovered in India, named as Musa itinerans ‚Indian Form’. It is a shadow loving to 10 metres tall banana with red or purple pseudostem and on the upper side deep green leaves with dark red midrib. The red color runs into the leaves, in the juvenile stage the leaf undersides are also purple red. This provenance is only recently introduced, there are still no expeciences in the outdoor overwintering in colder regions, but might be similarly hardy like the nominal form. The trials in Angatuba and Lucianópolis in Brazil has proven as successful. In Angatuba this form has already flowered and fruited, reached also heights of to 10 metres like I saw them with own eyes.

 

 

 

Musa itinerans 'Indian Form' in Angatuba in the nursery of Helton Josué, Colecionando Frutas in October 2012 with fruits.

 

One runner of Musa itinerans 'Indian Form'  in Angatuba in the nursery
of Helton Josué, Colecionando Frutas in October 2012, at the next day
he separated this runner and I transplanted it at my pondin Lucianópolis.

Musa itinerans 'Indian Form' at my pond in Lucianópolis in October 2012.

Recently transplanted runner at the pond on October 26th, 2012.

The runner is grown on well, this the update from January 31st, 2013.

 

 

 

 

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Created by Joachim Jaeck on October 5th, 2013