J Syst Evol ›› 2008, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (1): 89-92.DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1002.2008.07056

• Research Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

A taxonomic revision of Musa aurantiaca (Musaceae) in Southeast Asia

1,2Markku HAKKINEN*, 3Henry VARE   

  1. 1(Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China)

    2(Botanic Garden, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 4
    4 (Jyrängöntie 2), FI-00014, Finland)

    3(Finnish Museum of Natural History, Botanical Museum, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box
    7 (Unioninkatu 44), FI-00014, Finland)
    markku.hakkinen@kymp.net
  • Received:2007-03-28 Published:2008-01-18

Abstract: Since the initial description, the name Musa aurantiaca Baker (1893) has been unclear to most botanists. The aim of this study is to settle its true identity and to update the description. The plant is distributed in the regions of Upper Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, India, Northern Myanmar and Tibet, China where it occurs commonly but it is not mentioned in Chinese literature at all. In this paper, the authors also review the description and the literature history of M. aurantiaca from 1893 to the present. Musa aurantiaca Baker is typified here.

Key words: Musa, Musa aurantiaca, Musaceae, Southeast Asia, wild banana