Musa balbisiana Colla var. elavazhai A.Joe, Sreejith & M.Sabu, 2014

Joe, Alfred, Sreejith, P. E. & Sabu, Mamiyil, 2014, A new variety of Musa balbisiana Colla (Musaceae) from South India, Phytotaxa 175 (2), pp. 113-116 : 113-115

Musa balbisiana Colla var. elavazhai A.Joe, Sreejith & M.Sabu , var. nov. ( Fig. 1 ).

Similar to M. balbisiana var. andamanica (1998: 157) , but differ from it in having fruits in nearly horizontal rachis, pseudostem olive green when young and with black coloration when mature, 5–8 suckers in a clump, fruits curved, with long pedicel and apex lengthily pointed and almost round seeds.

Type: — INDIA, Kerala: Malappuram Dist., Calicut University Botanical Garden (cultivated), 30 August 2013, M . Sabu & A. Joe 130779 (holotype: CALI!, isotype: MH!)

Plants stout, suckers 2–3, close to parent plant, 5–18 cm away, vertically arranged, 5–8 suckers in a clump. Mature pseudostem 5–7 m high, 75–83 cm circumference at the base, olive green with some pink pigmentation, sometimes completely black, pseudostem covered with dry outer sheaths, not waxy, sap watery with slight orange tinge. Leaf habit intermediate, lamina 190–210 × 58–90 cm, oblong-lanceolate, truncate at apex, upper surface green, dull, lower surface medium green, slightly glaucous, leaf bases asymmetric, one rounded and other auriculate, midrib dorsally light green, ventrally yellow-green, Petiole 55–62 cm long, yellow green with green towards margins, not waxy, petiole closed or slightly overlapping, blotches present, black or brown, petiole bases winged and clasping the pseudostem. Inflorescence horizontal but the male rachis and male bud pendulous and perpendicular to the pseudostem, peduncle 43–48 cm long, 7–13 cm circumference, green, glabrous without grooves. Sterile bracts 2, deciduous or persistent, with leafy appendage. Female bud lanceolate, imbricate at apex. Female bracts lanceolate, 20–32 × 12–15 cm, dark purple adaxially, slightly glaucous, abaxially red purple, glabrous, shiny, apex obtuse, lifting 1–2 bracts at a time, persistent for 2–3 days giving an appearance of bracts lifting 4–5 at a time, open and reflexed before falling. Flowers 10–16 per bract in 2 rows, 11–11.5 cm long, pedicel much long, 2.7–3.5 cm long. Compound tepal 3.8–4.1 × 1.8–1.9 cm, adaxially cream with purple flush with yellow towards apex, abaxially pink with cream base and apex, ribbed at dorsal angles, lobes 5, yellow, outer lobes much longer than inner, 0.6–1 cm long, inner 0.3–0.6 cm long, marginal two lobes with small horns, 0.2–0.4 cm long. Free tepal 3.2–3.4 × 1.9–2 cm, hood-like, creamy translucent, not corrugated at apex with a small yellow acumen. Staminodes 5, 1.2–1.8 cm long, cream with yellow tinge towards base. Ovary 7.7–8.2 cm long, straight, light green or yellowish green with purple apex, with ovules in 4 rows per locule, pedicel long, 2.7–3.5 cm long, cream with pink tinge, style 2.7–3 cm long, inserted, cream, stigma globose, inserted, cream, sticky. Basal 4–7 bunches female in a nearly horizontal rachis, Male bud lanceolate, slightly imbricate at apex, rachis pendulous, parallel to pseudostem, green, glabrous without grooves. Male bracts lanceolate, 13–20 × 8–8.8 cm, pinkpurple adaxially, slightly glaucous and abaxially red purple, glabrous, shiny, apex obtuse or nearly truncate, lifting 1–2 bracts at a time, open and reflexed before falling, bract scars prominent, bracts sometimes persistent. Male flowers on average 12–16 per bract in 2 rows, 6.6–6.9 cm long, falling with the bract. Compound tepal 4.2–4.4 × 1.2–1.3 cm, adaxially pink with creamy tinge, yellow towards apex, ribbed at dorsal angles, abaxially pink with cream base and yellow apex, lobes 5, yellow, outer lobes much longer than inner, 0.2–0.3 cm long, marginal two lobes with small horns, 0.2–0.3 cm long. Free tepal 2.7–3.1 × 0.9–1.2 cm, creamy with pink tinge, boat-shaped, slightly corrugated at apex and a small acumen curved inwards. Stamens 5, 4.6–4.8 cm long, exserted, filament cream, 2.6–2.7 cm long, anther cream with yellow tinge, 2.2–2.3 cm long, curved backwards. Ovary rudiment, curved, 2.2–2.4 cm long, creamy white with purple tinge towards apex, style straight, cream, inserted, 3.5–3.6 cm long, stigma brown. Fruit bunch lax, with 4–7 hands and 10–16 fruits per hand, in two rows, fingers pointed upwards from the nearly horizontal rachis, ie. negatively geotropic, Fruits curved, 14–17 cm long, circumference 9–11 cm, pronouncedly ridged, pedicel 3.8–4 cm long, apex lengthily pointed with or without floral relicts (style and stigma), pericarp green, slightly glaucous, greenish yellow or pale yellow when ripen, pulp cream. Seeds 40–120 per fruit, round, warty.

Flowering and fruiting: —Throughout the year.

Distribution: —It is widely cultivated in Tamil Nadu of South India. Also reports about its cultivation in Kerala and Karnataka.

Etymology: —The varietal epithet ‘elavazhai’, coming from its common name ‘elavazha’ in Malayalam or ‘elavazhai’ in Tamil (ela = leaf, vazhai = banana tree). It is also known as Kallu Bale of Ela bale in Karnataka.

Additional specimens examined (paratypes): — INDIA, Kerala: Kozhikode Dist., Anniehall road, near railway station, behind PVS Hospital , 26 November 2012, P. E . Sreejith 123220 ( CALI!); Civil station , 15 April 2013, P. E . Sreejith 123240 ( CALI!) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Musa balbisiana var. elavazhai. A. habit. B. pseudostem color at young stage. C. color at maturity. D. leaf apex. E. leaf base. F. cross-section of petiole, G. inflorescence at emerging stage. H–M. female flower parts. H. entire flower. I–J compound tepal. K. flower without tepals. L. free tepal. M. cross-section of ovary. N–O. bract. P–Q. male flower parts. P. entire flower. Q. flower without tepals. R. inflorescene at advanced blooming. S. fruit bunch. T. single fruit. U. seeds. Photos by Alfred Joe.