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Taxonomic Identity of Musa nagensium (Musaceae) in Southeast Asia Markku Hakkinen Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan Province 666303, People’s Republic of China; and Botanic Garden, P.O. Box 44 (Jyrangontie 2), FI-00014, University of Helsinki, Finland. Address for correspondence: Tornatorintie 11 A 26, 48100 Kotka, Finland. [email protected] Abstract. Since the early 20th century, the taxo¬ 2008). No hybridization between the species in nomic identity of Musa nagensium Prain (Musaceae) sympatric growth was observed (Hakkinen, 2006, has been uncertain to most botanists. The aim of this pers. obs.). G. B. Wilson noted in his cylologieal paper is to clarify die taxonomic history of M. studies in Jamaica that there are two different nagensium. A new variety, M. nagensium var. hongii of M. he did i Hakkinen, is described and illustrated here. This rare specify them, only mentioning that the plants variety of M. nagensium was found only in a small originated in botanical collections (Wilson, 1946). area in northwestern Yunnan, China, near the Extensive field observations were made by the Burmese border. This study is based on observed author during an expedition in 2006 to Yunnan morphological characteristics in the field and from Province, Yingjiang District, China. The new variety specimens in various herbaria, and is supported by the is described based on living plants in die field by existing literature on the Musaceae. A key to M. completing the International Network for the Improve¬ nagensium and related taxa is provided. ment of Banana and Plantain (INIBAP) Musa, Key words: China, jIUCN Red List, Musa, Musa¬ descriptor list (IPGRI-INIBAP/CIRAD, 1996). The ceae, wild banana, Yunnan. descripti\e terms here follow the traditional banana taxonomy as used by Simmonds (1962, 1966). Musa nagensium Prain (Musaceae) was initially Relevant portions of the specimens were deposited described by David Prain in the Royal Botanic as holotype at the herbarium of the Xishuangbanna Garden, Calcutta (today the Indian Botanic Garden, Tropical Botanical Garden (HITBC), and isotypes Howran), based on the plant grown from rootstock were deposited at the herbaria of LI, IBSC, and MO. collected from the Naga Hills region in the states of Nagaland and Assam, India (Prain, 1904). Musa Prain, J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 73: nagensium is also mentioned in other literature, but 21. 1904. TYPE; [India.] Assam: Nagaland, without detailed descriptions (Fawcett, 1913; Fisher, Joboc-a. Calcutta, Royal Bot. Garden, 3 Sep. 1931; Wilson, 1946; Cheesman, 1948; Simmonds, [19]03, Abdul Huq s,n. (lectotype, designated by 1956a, b, 1960; Champion, 1967; Simmonds & Liu et al., 2002, K; isotypes, BM, E). Weatherup, 1990; Hore et al., 1992; Liu et ah. la. Musa nagensium var. nagensium. Figure 1A. rAS2ibneo0isptmt0osoaa2 mnrm;ti ooes Unbdt(sdl Umi.ts vom aIi to (a gSeni rstieo m twca aomla .nm,ilo dn.,2nm td02hois00tne,5 0 l)y51Ni. s) 9ca. H5 ogM6toanoa wfud)Hu,sea saivywel el dnshr ,aiuw rcgniehitegtks hn ing ostoMrrinowuu,.we m nci st hs shti etanaooet sr suu imsgbmp iaepfnoneeeasinlrlilt abn1nea9dct9Dia 2viAu ess(t sHrtesoi abo tmiurhteste,i o eINontn c adacgilaua.a,nr. rHd1Ie t9in l9lhicss2ea ;r ba ehsiHgtsaaiausotkm .n kn eiiondnVt e ttanhbor,e ei n eepsotnetywa r tsr e.ebn speao oo gbrfresa tN.ne)t.hsda ieg urasm ilrna ancrieeds habitat, sympatric with M. balbisiana Colla (Colla, IUCN Red List category. Only a few plants of 1820; Hakkinen, pers. obs.). In contrast, the new variety nagensium were seen in the Naga Hills region variety M. nagensium var. hongii Hakkinen is in the states of Nagaland and Assam, India. This taxon sympatric with M. acuminata Colla var. chinensis is of conservation concern and should be considered Hakkinen & H. Wang, M. balbisiana, M. itinerans at least Vulnerable (VU) according to IUCN Red List Cheesman var. chinensis Hakkinen, and M. yunnan- criteria (IUCN, 2001) Fmthei study is needed in ensis Hakkinen & Id. Wang in Tongbiguan Nature Nagaland, India, and in adjacent Burma. Reserve, west Yunnan, China, and in the adjacent Xirna area (Hakkinen & Wang, 2007; Hakkinen et al.. . nagensium var. nagensium (Uma Novon 18: 336-339. Published on 2 September 2008. doi: 10.3417/2006181 Volume 18, Number 3 Hakkinen 337 2008 Taxonomic Identity of Musa nagensium et al., 2005; Hakkinen, pers. obs.). This is because the Tongbiguan, seasonal rainforest, (cid:9632) wet valley, pure form of variety nagensium. is no longer found in 800 m, 9 Jan. 2006, Wang Hong 8385 (holotype, its natural habitat. Musa cheesmanii can be easily HITBC [4 sheets]; isotypes, H, IBSC, MO). distinguished from M. nagensium by its upward- Figure IB. pointing fruits versus the downward-pointing fruits of M. nagensium (Fig. 2). High genetic variation of M. nagensium m those known locations is due to ^ bractearum apicibus obtus environmental stress caused by its mountainous habitat. In order for this species to survive in the i 12-15 X 3 cm) dislinguitur. various environments, it underwent substantial genet¬ tall, plant ic changes and evolved into different varieties. This is 50 cm, to 5 suckers, vertically arranged; mature quite a common phenomenon in wild bananas pseudostem to 11 m, to 25 cm diam. at base, of (Hakkinen, 2003, 2004, 2006; Hakkinen & Meekiong, variable appearance with dead brown waxy sheaths, 2004, 2005; Hakkinen et al., 2005, 2007). The underlying color ivory with large pink-purple blotch¬ chromosome number (2n = 22) for M. nagensium es, shiny; sap milky. Petiole to 50 cm, canal margins was determined by Wilson (1946). stem with corrugated margins; leaves erect, lamina to Distr.: Tagwin Chaung, in evergreen forest, 24 Nov. 1928, 200 X 65 cm, narrowly elliptic, truncate at the apex, C. E. Parkisson 1759 (K). INDIA. Assam: Nagaland, Royal adaxially dark green, dull, abaxially silvery, very NBoatg. alGanardd, e1n9 6C0a,l cNuRttaF,P 3 6 0S e(pE.) . [19]03, Abdul Huq (BM, E), wauarxiyc;u llaetaef, bmasiedsr iabs ylmigmhte trgirce, ebno tohn sibdoetsh rosuidnedse,d waintdh slightly corrugated lamina. Inflorescence arching lb. Musa nagensium var. hongii Hakkinen, var. vertically downward; peduncle |§"®f cm, ca. 3 cm in nov. TYPE: China. Yunnan: Dehong Distr., diam., glabrous, light green, Yingjiang Co., Xima, old way from Xima to present, persistent a ?T'r81-,