Musa balbisiana

Two wild species are the origin of most cultivated bananas. These are Musa acuminate and Musa balbisiana.

In the drier areas of Asia where the wild and seedy Musa balbisiana predominates, a parallel evolutionary development occurred which led to the appearance of pure diploid and triploid balbisiana cultivars first recognized in the Philippines.

Musa balbisiana includes not only wild forms but numerous cultivated varieties. The range of Musa balbisiana extends over Sri Lanka, India, Java, Malaysia, Burma and Thailand. Musa balbisiana grows widely from sea-level up to 900 m.

The Pali chronicle Mahavamsa, written in the 5th century AD, cites its occurrence there under the name ‘ettikehel’. It was suggested that this wild species may have been the ancestor of the numerous seedless forms now in cultivation and distinguished from each other by differences in the shape and color of the fruits.

Seeds of Musa balbisiana, parent of many commercial edible bananas varieties, are dark brown, ovoid, about 4 mm (0.2 in) long, with conspicuous white powdery endosperm.
Musa balbisiana

Musa acuminata

The majority of edible bananas and plantains are descended from just two wild species: Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana.

The first bananas to be cultivated were probably plants of Musa acuminata growing in the humid forests of Malaysia.

Musa acuminata is one of about 30 wild bananas that are known to occur in south-east Asia.

M. acuminata is diploid: its somatic cells contain two basic chromosome sets, not four or six. It has 22 chromosomes, so that the basic chromosome number (n) is 11 – other wild banana have n=7, 9 or 10.

One of the species, Musa acuminata ‘Dwarf Lady Finger’ is valued for its small, finger size bananas and slender growth. It produces deliciously sweet bananas within a year or two, flowering and fruiting when less than 4 feet tall.
Musa acuminata