Musa ×paradisiaca

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Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens only. View county names by placing the mouse cursor over a particular county.

Species Distribution Map
Family:MUSACEAE
Species:Musa ×paradisiaca L.
Common Name:Banana; Plantains
Habitat:**
Associated Ecological Communities:**
Growth Habit:Shrub
Duration:Perennial
Category:Vascular
USDA Symbol:**
Plant Notes:This is a triploid hybrid between M. acuminata and M. balbisiana both of SE Asia. Although fruits, may develop, they are without viable seed. This is due to the hybrid background of the cultivar. Banana is a large introduced herbaceous plant in the Banana family—Musaceae. It is a triploid hybrid developed in cultivation from crosses of Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana. Both of the parents are native to south Asia. Although fruits develop in the hybrid, they are without viable seed. This is due to the hybrid background of the cultivar. Banana plants are often cultivated in south Alabama, and were first collected in 2011. The two collections from Baldwin and Mobile counties thus far may represent waifs and not a permanently naturalized element of the Alabama flora. Although plants may flower in Alabama, the growing season is too short for fruit to fully develop. Banana plants consist of an underground rhizome that gives rise to a cluster of pseudostems ranging from 7-30 feet in height when mature. The pseudostem consists of the fused bases of the leaves. Leaves are petiolate, oblong to oblong-elliptic in outline, with entire margins. The leaf blade is from 1-2 meters in length, and is often split to the midrib by strong winds. Each pseudostem produces a single elongated inflorescence. Pistillate flowers are produced towards the base of the inflorescence and staminate flowers are produced towards the apex. Flowers are produced in clusters. Staminate flowers are subtended by imbricate pink/purple/red bracts that form a bud-like structure at the apex of the inflorescence. The flowers are tubular and yellow, green, or white in color. The fruit is a cylindrical berry. After fruiting the pseudostem dies and is replaced by new shoots arising from the rhizome. Bananas with starchy fruit that are cooked before eating are called plantains. Almost all Banana’s consumed in the United States today are from a single cultivar known as “Cavendish”. Since they are propagated from
Taxonomic Notes:Though often cultivated in the southern tier counties of Alabama, this species was first collected in an uncultivated situation by Howard Horne in 2011. The two collections thus far may represent waifs and not a permnanently naturalized element of the Alabama flora.
Status:Not Native
References:**
Specimen: View specimen details in the Alabama Herbarium Consortium Specimen Database

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

FamilyMUSACEAE - Banana family
Genus Musa
Species Musa ×paradisiaca L. - Banana; Plantains

Citation

Citation Musa × paradisiaca Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 1043. 1753.
Basionym: **
Type: INDIA: Without data (lectotype: Linnaeus, Musa Cliff. t. 1. 1736). Lectotypified by Argent, in C.E. Jarvis et al., Regnum Veg. 127: 69. 1993.

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

SynonymFull CitationBasionymType
Musa mensaria Musa mensaria Moench, Methodus 647. 1794, nom. illegit.BASIONYM: Musa paradisiaca Linnaeus 1753. 
Musa paradisiaca var. normalis Musa paradisiaca Linnaeus, var. normalis Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 692. 1891, nom. inadmiss.BASIONYM: Musa paradisiaca Linnaeus 1753. 
Musa sapientum var. paradisiaca Musa sapientum Linnaeus, var. paradisiaca (Linnaeus) Baker, Ann. Bot. 1893: 7. 1893.BASIONYM: Musa paradisiaca Linnaeus 1753. 
Musa ×sapientum Musa x sapientum Linnaeus (M. acuminata Colla x M. balbisiana Colla), Syst. Nat., ed. 10. 1303. 1759, pro sp.  

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Baldwin, Conecuh, Covington, Mobile

Counties represented by specimen data listed below:

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: ALNHS, AMAL, TROY, UNA, UWAL

Range of years during which specimens were collected: -

Barcode / Accession No. County Coll. Date Collector &
Collection No.		 Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used		 Image
TROY000047167 Covington 22 Aug 2018 Diamond, Alvin R.
28452		 TROY
Musa ×paradisiaca Linnaeus
AMAL00019485 Baldwin 1 Sep 2012 Horne, Howard E.
1875		 AMAL
Musa × paradisiaca Linnaeus
AMAL000221215 Mobile 07 Dec 2014 Horne, Howard E.
2772		 AMAL
Musa xparadisiaca Linnaeus
AMAL00019489 Mobile 6 Sep 2011 Horne, Howard E.
1674		 AMAL
Musa × paradisiaca Linnaeus
UWAL0039904 Conecuh 27 Jul 2017 Diamond, Alvin R.
27889		 UWAL
Musa ×paradisiaca Linnaeus
UWAL0011616 Mobile 06 Sep 2011 Horne, Howard E.
1674		 UWAL
Musa ×paradisiaca Linnaeus
ALNHS00003660 Baldwin 9 Dec 2015 Barger, T. Wayne
SP#2120		 ALNHS
Musa ×paradisiaca L.
UWAL0039159 Covington 22 Aug 2018 Diamond, Alvin R.
28452		 UWAL
Musa x paradisiaca L.
UWAL0030793 Mobile 07 Dec 2014 Horne, Howard E.
277		 UWAL
Musa ×paradisiaca Linnaeus
TROY000045586 Conecuh 27 Jul 2017 Diamond, Alvin R.
27889		 TROY
Musa ×paradisiaca Linnaeus
UNA00070435 Mobile 06 Sep 2011 Horne, Howard
1674		 UNA
Musa X paradisiaca L. (pro sp.)
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