Wikipedia

Musa(genus)

For other uses, seeMusa.
This article is about the botanical genus. For cultivated plants, seeBanana.

Musais one of threegenerain the familyMusaceae.The genus includes 83 species offlowering plantsproducing ediblebananasandplantains,and fiber (abacá), used to make paper and cloth.[2][3]Though they grow as high astrees,banana and plantain plants are notwoodyand their apparent "stem"is made up of the bases of the hugeleafstalks.Thus, they are technically giganticherbaceous plants.

Musa
Banana plants, Kanaha Beach,Maui
Scientific classificationEdit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Musaceae
Genus: Musa
L.[1]
Type species
Musa acuminata
Species

Around 80, seetext.

Description

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Banana plants are among the largest extant herbaceous plants, some reaching up to 9 m (30 ft) in height or 18 m (59 ft) in the case ofMusa ingens.The large herb is composed of a modified underground stem (rhizome), a false trunk or pseudostem formed by the basal parts of tightly rolled leaves, a network of roots, and a large flower spike. A single leaf is divided into a leaf sheath, a contracted part called apetiole,and a terminal leaf blade. The false trunk is an aggregation of leaf sheaths;[4]only when the plant is ready to flower does a true stem grow up through the sheath and droop back down.[5]At the end of this stem, apeduncleforms (withM. ingenshaving the second-longest peduncle known, exceeded only byAgave salmiana), bearing many female flowers protected by large purple-red bracts. The extension of the stem (the rachis) continues growth downward, where terminal male flowers grow. The leaves originate from a pseudostem and unroll to show a leaf blade with two lamina halves.[4]The lamina can be as much as 7 m (23 ft) long in the case ofM. acuminatasubsp.truncata(syn.M. truncata) of theMalay Peninsula).[6]Musaspecies reproduce by both sexual (seed) and asexual (suckers) processes, using asexual means when producing sterile (unseeded) fruits. Further qualities to distinguishMusainclude spirally arranged leaves, fruits as berries, the presence of latex-producing cells, flowers with five connate tepals and one member of the inner whorl distinct, and a petiole with one row of air channels.[7]

Bananas have a green skin when unripe. Whileplantainsremain green all the way, many varieties change their skin to a yellow, orange or reddish colour as they ripen.[citation needed]

Taxonomy

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History

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Pliny the Elderused the namearienafor the fruit of a tree found in India. It has been speculated that this might have been the banana,[8][9]although Pliny says that a single fruit was sufficient to satisfy four persons.[8]

During thelate Middle Ages,international trade brought bananas to Europe, which created the need for a name. In the 11th century,Medieval Latininnovated a termmusa:this was most likely[Note 1]thelatinizationof the Arabic name for the fruit,mauz(موز). Thus, the 11th-century Arabic encyclopediaThe Canon of Medicine,which was translated to Latin in medieval times and well known in Europe, shows a correspondence between Arabicmauzand Latinmusa.[Note 2]Muzis also the Turkish, Persian, and Somali name for the fruit.

According to linguistMark Donohueand archaeologist Tim Denham, the ultimate origin of the Latinized formmusais in theTrans–New Guinea languages,where certain cultivars of bananas are known under a form *muku.[10]From there, the term was borrowed into theAustronesian languagesof the area, and migrated across Asia, via theDravidian languagesof India, intoPersian,Greek, and Arabic as aWanderwort:[11][12]

Possible transmission ofmusafrom New Guinea to Latin
Trans-New Guinea Austronesian Dravidian Indic Persian Arabic Greek Latin
#mugu #mugu > muku > muʼu mōttai/mōte mocā mōč⁠ mawz/mawza mozā musa

The late Latin termmusawas later chosen byCarl Linnaeusin 1753, as the name for the genus.[13]

From the time of Linnaeus until the 1940s, different types of edible bananas and plantains were given Linnaean binomial names, such asMusa cavendishii,as if they were species. In fact, edible bananas have an extremely complicated origin involvinghybridization,mutation,and finallyselectionby humans. Most edible bananas are seedless (parthenocarpic), hence sterile, so they are propagated vegetatively. The giving of species names to what are actually very complex, largely asexual, hybrids (mostly of two species of wild bananas,Musa acuminataandMusa balbisiana) led to endless confusion in bananabotany.In the 1940s and 1950s, it became clear to botanists that the cultivated bananas and plantains could not usefully be assigned Linnean binomials, but were better givencultivarnames.[citation needed]

Serving food on a banana leaf is a popular tradition in certain parts of India, Sri Lanka, and parts of Southeast Asia.

As for the wordbanana,it came to English from Spanish and Portuguese, which had apparently obtained it from a West African language, possiblyWolof(Senegal).[14]The Wolof form might itself be aloanwordfrom Arabicbanān mawz(<banān'finger').[citation needed]

Sections

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Musasections have a history dating back to 1887, when M.P. Sagot published "Sur le genre Bananier", where the genusMusawas first formally classified.[15]In this article, Sagot arranged theMusaspecies into three groups, although no section names were assigned to them. The grouping was based on morphological traits, establishing the trio as bananas with fleshy fruit, ornamental bananas with upright inflorescences and bracts that were vibrantly colored, and bananas that were giant in size.

Five years after Sagot's article, J.G. Baker made the first formal designation ofMusasections. To do so, he named three subgenera that almost paralleled the sections that had been described by Sagot.[16]These sections were:

  • M.subg.PhysocaulisBaker– defined by a bract with many flowers, inedible fruits, and a bottle-shaped stem
  • M.subg.RhodochlamysBaker– defined by brightly colored bracts with few flowers, usually inedible fruits, and cylindrical stems
  • M.subg.EumusaBaker– defined by green, brown, or dull-violet bracts with many flowers, usually edible fruits, and cylindrical stems.

After this classification, in 1947, Cheeseman reclassified the taxa based on morphological features and chromosome number.[17]This project proposed four sections:

  • M.sect.EumusaCheesman(2n = 2x = 22)
  • M.sect.Rhodochlamys(Baker) Cheesman(2n = 2x = 22)
  • M.sect.AustralimusaCheesman(2n = 2x = 20)
  • M.sect.CallimusaCheesman(2n = 2x = 20)

The addition of anotherMusasection came in 1976 by G.C.G. Ardent. The added section,M.sect.Ingentimusa,Ardentwas based on a single species,Musa ingens.[18]This designation put the number of sections inMusaat five:Eumusa,Rhodochlamys,Callimusa,Australimusa,andIngentimusa.

In the 21st century, genomics have become cheaper, more efficient, and more accurate, andMusagenetic research has increased exponentially. Research was conducted around a diversity of genomic markers (cpDNA,nrDNA,rDNA, introns, various spacers, etc.). The results of many of these studies suggested that the five sections ofMusadefined by morphology (and listed above) were not monophyletic.[19][20]

Based on the incorrect section grouping, Markku Häkkinen proposed another reclassification of theMusasections in 2013. Using a multitude of genetic evidence and markers from other studies, Häkkinen suggested the reduction of fiveMusasections into two:MusaandCallimusa.[20]Unlike sectional classifications of the past, this hypothesis was based on genetic markers rather than morphological features or chromosome number. The two groups were generally formed by the clustering of the previously defined groups:

  • Musasect.RhotochlamysandM.sect.EumusabecameM.sect.Musa
  • M.sect.Ingetimusa,M.sect.CallimusaandM.sect.AustralimusabecameM.sect.Callimusa

The advance of genomic analysis technologies and further data on the relatedness ofMusaspecies, formulated Häkkinen's two sections and later corroborated them as correct subcategories for the genus.[21][22][23]The history ofMusasections provides an example of genomics superseding morphological evidence and thus classifications.

Species

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TheWorld Checklist of Selected Plant Familiesaccepts 68 species and two primary hybrids, as of January 2013,which are listed below.[24]The assignment to sections is based onGRIN(where this gives the species),[25]regrouped according to Wong et al.[26]

SectionCallimusa(incorporatingAustralimusa)

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Fruit stalk ofMusasp.
Banana flowers

[A] and [C] indicate known placement in the former sectionsAustralimusaandCallimusa,respectively.[27]

SectionIngentimusa

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SectionMusa(incorporatingRhodochlamys)

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Musa acuminatawithinflorescence
Japanese fiber banana (Musa basjoo) flowering atCotswold Wildlife Park
Musa ornata'Roxburgh' in China
Pink banana (Musa velutina) flower

Section undetermined or unknown

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Varigated form ofMusasp.
Musasp.

Formerly placed here

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Distribution and habitat

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The native distribution of the genusMusaincludes most of theIndomalayan realmand parts of north-easternAustralasia.It has been introduced to many other parts of the world with tropical or subtropical climates.[29]

Ecology

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Musaspecies are used as food plants by thelarvaeof someLepidopteraspecies, including thegiant leopard mothand otherHypercompespecies, includingH. albescens(only recorded onMusa),H. eridanus,andH. icasia.

Cultivated bananas

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Main articles:BananaandCooking banana
Left to right:plantains,red bananas,latundan,andCavendish bananas

A number of distinct groups of plants bearing edible fruit have been developed from species ofMusa.In English, fruits which are sweet and used for dessert are usually called "bananas", whereas starchier varieties used for cooking are called "plantains", but these terms do not have any botanical significance. By far the largest and now the most widely distributed group of cultivated bananas is derived from sectionMusa,particularlyM. acuminataandM. balbisiana,either alone or in various hybrid combinations. The next but much smaller group is derived from members of sectionCallimusa(previously classified asAustralimusa) and is restricted in importance toPolynesia.Of even more restricted importance are small groups of hybrids fromPapua New Guinea;a group from sectionMusato whichM. schizocarpahas also contributed, and a group of hybrids between sectionMusaand sectionCallimusa.[citation needed]

Banana and plantains are the fourth most produced food globally surpassed only by the staple crops ofrice,wheatandmaize.

Properties

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Plants of theMusaspp. including roots, flowers and fruits have been used in thefolk medicinecultures of Africa, Asia, India and the Americas. Modern studies examining the properties of the fruits have found diversity of bioactive compounds amonggenotypescompared with commercially growncultivars.[30]

SectionMusacultivars

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Further information:List of banana cultivars

When the Linnaean binomial system was abandoned for cultivated bananas, an alternate genome-based system for the nomenclature of edible bananas in sectionMusawas devised. Thus, the plant previously known by the "species" nameMusa cavendishiibecameMusa(AAA Group) 'Dwarf Cavendish'. The "new" name shows clearly that 'Dwarf Cavendish' is a triploid, with three sets of chromosomes, all derived fromMusa acuminata,which is designated by the letter "A". WhenMusa balbisianais involved, the letter "B" is used to denote its genome. Thus, the cultivar 'Rajapuri' may be calledMusa(AAB Group) 'Rajapuri'. 'Rajapuri' is also a triploid, expected to have two sets of chromosomes fromMusa acuminataand one fromMusa balbisiana.In the genome of edible bananas from sectionMusa,combinations such as AA, BB, ABB, BBB and even AAAB can be found.

Fe'i-type cultivars

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Main article:Fe'i banana

No such nomenclature system has been developed for the group of edible bananas derived from sectionCallimusa.This group is known generally as the "Fe'i" or "Fehi" bananas, and numerous cultivars are found in the South Pacific region. They are very distinctive plants with upright fruit bunches, featuring in three ofPaul Gauguin's paintings. The flesh can be cooked before eating and is bright orange, with a high level ofbeta carotene.Fe'i bananas are no longer very important for food, as imported foods have grown in popularity, although some have ritual significance. Investigations are under way to use the Fe'ikarat bananas(the name derives from "carrot"due to the intense orange-yellow color of the fruit) in prevention of childhood blindness inPohnpei.[31]Fe'i bananas probably derive mainly fromMusa maclayi,although their origins are not as well understood as the sectionMusabananas. Cultivars can be formally named, as e.g.Musa(Fe'i Group) 'Utafun'.

Other uses

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In addition to the edible fruits, the flowers can be eaten cooked, and the heart of the plant (likeheart of palm) can be eaten raw or cooked. Additionally, the rootstocks and leaf sheaths of some species can be cooked and eaten.[32]The leavesare used in several cultures as cooking wrappers, such as for Puerto Ricanpastelesor Indonesianpepes,and for food plating.Musa textilis(abacá) is grown for fiber.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^Some sources assert thatMusais named forAntonius Musa,physician to the EmperorAugustus:seeBailey, Liberty Hyde (1914–1917).The Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture.Vol. 4..New York: Macmillan.OCLC2768915..Pp. 2076–9.
  2. ^ArabicMauzmeaningMusaor banana is in the medieval Arabic medical encyclopedia by Avicenna, which is online atAvicenna: Book Two.See also "Musa" atDictionary.Reference.See alsoMusacéesinDictionnaire Étymologique Des Mots Français D'Origine Orientale,by L. Marcel Devic (year 1876).
  3. ^Musa beccariiis reported as having ahaploidchromosome number of 9 or 10, the latter due to multivalent formation duringmeiosis.Although genetically it nestles comfortably within sectionCallimusathe chromosome number needs clarification.[citation needed]
  4. ^Musa basjoois the most cold hardy species ofMusa,growing and fruiting successfully in outdoor cultivation in theBritish IslesandBritish Columbia.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ GRIN(2009-02-19)."Genus:MusaL. "Taxonomy for Plants.National Germplasm Resources Laboratory,Beltsville, Maryland:USDA,ARS,National Genetic Resources Program. Archived fromthe originalon 2012-10-11.Retrieved2011-02-06.
  2. ^"Abaca".Future Fibres.Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.Retrieved23 November2024.
  3. ^"Musa textilisNée ".Germplasm Resources Information Network.Agricultural Research Service,United States Department of Agriculture.Retrieved23 November2024.See Economic Uses.
  4. ^abRouard, Mathieu, et al. “Morphology of Banana Plant.” The Banana Knowledge Platform of the ProMusa Network, Feb. 2019, promusa.org/Morphology+of+banana+plant.
  5. ^The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Banana.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 22 Aug. 2019, britannica /plant/banana-plant.
  6. ^Davison, G. (November 1983). "Tahuka Anda?".Malayan Naturalist.37(2): 39.
  7. ^Judd, Walter S. Plant Systematics a Phylogenetic Approach. Sinauer Assoc., 2007.
  8. ^abBostock, John; Riley, H.T. (eds.)."Chap. 12. (6.)—The pala: the fruit called ariena".Pliny the Elder, The Natural History.Retrieved2024-11-07.
  9. ^von Humboldt, Alexander(1850).Views of Nature, or: Contemplations on the Sublime Phenomena of Creation.Henry G. Bohn. p. 305.
  10. ^Denham, Tim;Donohue, Mark(2009)."Pre-Austronesian dispersal of banana cultivars West from New Guinea: Linguistic relics from Eastern Indonesia".Archaeology in Oceania.44(1):18–28.doi:10.1002/j.1834-4453.2009.tb00041.x.Retrieved5 Feb2023.
  11. ^Donohue, Mark; Denham, Tim (2009)."Banana (Musaspp.) domestication in the Asia-Pacific Region: Linguistic and archaeobotanical perspectives ".Ethnobotany Research & Applications.7:293–332.doi:10.17348/era.7.0.293-332.hdl:10440/942.Retrieved5 Feb2023.
  12. ^Blench, Roger(2016)."Things your classics master never told you: a borrowing from Trans New Guinea languages into Latin".Academia.edu.
  13. ^"Musa".World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.Archived fromthe originalon January 20, 2012.Retrieved2013-01-10.
  14. ^EntryBanana,atDictionary.
  15. ^Sagot, M.P. (1887)."Sur le genre Bananier".Bulletin de la Société botanique de France.34(7):328–330.Bibcode:1887BSBF...34..328S.doi:10.1080/00378941.1887.10830263.
  16. ^Baker, J.G. (1893). "A synopsis of the genera and species of Museae".Annals of Botany (Oxford).7:189–229.
  17. ^Cheesman, E.E. 1947 [pub. 1948]. Classification of the bananas. II. The genus Musa L. Kew Bull. 2: 106–117.doi:10.2307/4109207
  18. ^Argent, G.C.G. 1976. The wild bananas of Papua New Guinea. Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh 35: 77–114.
  19. ^Wong C, Kiew R, Argent GCG, Set O, Lee SK, Gan YY. Assessment of the validity of the sections in Musa (Musaceae) using AFLP. Ann Bot-London. 2002; 90: 231–238.
  20. ^abHäkkinen, Markku (2013). "Reappraisal of sectional taxonomy inMusa(Musaceae) ".Taxon.62(4):809–813.doi:10.12705/624.3.
  21. ^Feng, Huimin, et al. "Molecular Phylogeny of Genus Musa Determined by Simple Sequence Repeat Markers." Plant Genetic Resources, vol. 14, no. 3, 2015, pp. 192–199.,doi:10.1017/s1479262115000222
  22. ^Lamare, Animos; et al. (2017). "Phylogenetic Implications of the Internal Transcribed Spacers of NrDNA and Chloroplast DNA Fragments of Musa in Deciphering the Ambiguities Related to the Sectional Classification of the Genus".Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution.64(6):1241–1251.doi:10.1007/s10722-016-0433-9.S2CID20705065.
  23. ^Čížková, J; Hřibová, E; Christelová, P; Van den Houwe, I; Häkkinen, M; et al. (2015)."Molecular and Cytogenetic Characterization of Wild Musa Species".PLOS ONE.10(8): e0134096.Bibcode:2015PLoSO..1034096C.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0134096.PMC4529165.PMID26252482.
  24. ^Search for "Musa".World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.Retrieved2013-01-10.
  25. ^GRIN(2009-02-19)."Species in GRIN for genusMusa".Taxonomy for Plants.National Germplasm Resources Laboratory,Beltsville, Maryland:USDA,ARS,National Genetic Resources Program. Archived fromthe originalon 2012-12-12.Retrieved2011-02-06.
  26. ^Wong, C.; Kiew, R.; Argent, G.; Set, O.; Lee, S.K. & Gan, Y.Y. (2002)."Assessment of the Validity of the Sections inMusa(Musaceae) using ALFP ".Annals of Botany.90(2):231–238.doi:10.1093/aob/mcf170.PMC4240415.PMID12197520.
  27. ^Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (2008).The Biology ofMusaL. (banana)(PDF).Australian Government. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2012-12-03.Retrieved2013-01-28.
  28. ^"Ensete lasiocarpum".World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.Retrieved2013-01-10.
  29. ^"Musa L."Plants of the World Online.Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.Retrieved12 February2023.
  30. ^Pearson, Valerie A. (2016).Bananas: Cultivation, Consumption and Crop Diseases.Nova Science Publishers. p. 1.ISBN978-1-63485-418-4.
  31. ^Coghlan, Andy (2004-07-10)."Orange banana to boost kids' eyes".New Scientist.
  32. ^U.S. Department of the Army (2019).The Official U.S. Army Illustrated Guide to Edible Wild Plants.Guilford, CT:Lyons Press.p. 17.ISBN978-1-4930-4039-1.OCLC1043567121.

Further reading

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