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Rheedea
Vol. 24(1)
05-11
2014
Regarding the identity, rediscovery and taxonomic history of
Musa nagensium
(Musaceae) from India
Alfred Joe, P.E. Sreejith, O.A. Ashfak and M. Sabu*
Department of Botany, University of Calicut, Calicut University P.O
Thenhipalam, 673 635, Kerala, India.
*E-mail: msabu9@gmail.com
Abstract
Since the publication of
Musa nagensium
Prain in 1904, this taxon has not been collected from the Indian
forests or misidentified under different species. Here,
M. nagensium
is rediscovered after a lapse of more
than a century from North-East India.
M. nagensium
var.
hongii
is reduced to the synonomy of
M. nagensium
.
Detailed description, photographs, notes on distribution, ecological details and notes on variation are
provided. IUCN conservation status based on the field study is also provided.
Keywords:
Musa nagensium
,
M. nagensium
var.
hongii
, Rediscovery, taxonomic notes, synonymy, lectotype
Introduction
Musa nagensium Prain (1904) was initially described
based on the plant grown at the Royal Botanical
Garden, Calcua from the rootstocks collected
by Abdul Huq from Jaboca Naga Country (Naga
hills of Assam, the present Nagaland), North-
East India. Fawce (1913) included this taxon in
his book based on Prain’s description. Fischer
(1931) reported the occurrence of M. nagensium
from Myitkyina District of Upper Burma, some
200 miles from its type locality, based on a
specimen collected by Parkinson. Wilson (1946)
in his cytological studies in the Musae, used two
varieties of M. nagensium for breeding experiment,
and reported both consists of 11 chromosomes. He
further added that these varieties may be identical,
with dierent labels. Cheesman (1948) provided
a breif description of the taxon from the plants
grown at Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture
(I.C.T.A.), Trinidad, which was introduced from
the Myitkyina District, Burma. It was raised from
the seeds sent by C.W.D. Kermode in July 1939,
labelled ‘Ngapyaw-new’. He added that the detailed
description and photographs taken from that
plant will be supplied later if the plant survives,
which was not materialized. He also commented
on Prain’s quoting “the fruits, instead of being
recurved as in most species, point persistently
forward and downward in the direction of the
apex of the long pendulous rachis”. Subsequently,
Simmonds (1956) came across this species from
a Thai collection. He couldn’t see the plant in
owering stage, but the vegetative characters of
the plant agrees with the plant grown in I.C.T.A.
(Introd. No. 188). Simmonds noticed that seeds
are obscurely warty, sub-globose but somewhat
tapered towards the hilum and have a distinct and
relatively large hilum cavity. However, Simmonds
recorded its type in “Herb. Calcua, some
duplicates in Herb. Kew”, but has not designated
a lectotype.
After Simmonds (1956) this species remained
unnoticed by botanists and no collections were
made. Hore et al. (1992) mentioned the occurrence
of this species in North-East India with a brief
description based on earlier works. Karthikeyan
et al. (1989) included this species in their ‘Florae
Indicae Enumeratio Monocotyledonae’. Uma et al.
(2005) misidentied M. cheesmanii N.W.Simmonds
as M. nagensium and provided the photograph
of the former. Liu et al. (2002) lectotypied M.
nagensium by designating a specimen collected
by Abdul Huq s.n., from Naga Hills, preserved
at K (image !). They also mentioned it as an
‘incompletely known species’ in China because
of its limited distribution. Later, Häkkinen (2008)
described a new variety of M. nagensium viz., M.
nagensium var. hongii Häkkinen, based on the
imbricate nature of its male bud, bract color and
warty nature of seeds. Detailed studies based on
live collections from dierent parts of North-East
India, protologues, herbarium specimens etc, have
6
Regarding the identity, rediscovery and taxonomic history of
Musa nagensium
shown all these characters shown by M. nagensium
and are highly variable. Recently, Gogoi (2013)
reported M. nagensium var. hongii from India,
which is also a variant of M. nagensium. There was
no mention about the bract arrangement in the
protologue of M. nagensium and the bract color was
given as ‘Indian red’. The subsequent botanists
used the terms bracts convolute, bract color scarlet
red or ‘Indian red’ to M. nagensium and the nature
of seeds is also given as smooth (Häkkinen, 2008;
Gogoi, 2013). According to Cheesman (1948) and
Simmonds (1956) seeds of M. nagensium are big
and somewhat warty and bracts are imbricate due
to its remote nature from each other. The color of
bract is highly variable with dierent shades of
orange, yellow and red. Based on the observations
of a large number of live specimens from dierent
parts in India, it is concluded that M. nagensium is
highly variable and hence M. nagensium var. hongii
cannot be treated as distinct taxon and hence
merged with the typical variety.
M. nagensium had been unknown to botanists,
either misidentied or generalized under other
Musa species. There were no collection after type
collection from India and beleived it to be a lost
species or rather rare species (Häkkinen, 2008).
Lack of detailed account on Indian Musaceae
after Baker (1892) and properly identied well
preserved herbarium specimens made the situation
worse. Various other factors such as inaccessibility
to the dense evergreen forests during monsoon,
insurgency coupled with diculty in handling
bulky specimens for processing resulted in the
poor representation of Musaceae specimens in
Indian herbaria. Recent studies in India by the
authors have brought out a few new taxa viz. M.
velutina subsp. markkuana M.Sabu et al. (2013a),
M. velutina var. variegata A.Joe et al. (2014a), M.
sabuana Prasad et al. (2013), M. arunachalensis
A.Joe et al. (Sreejith et al. 2013), M. cylindrica A.Joe
et al. (2014c). A few taxa new to Indian Musaceae
were added by Sabu et al. (2013b) and Joe et al.
(2013a) include M. chunii Häkkinen and M. laterita
Cheesman respectively. Joe et al. (2013b,c, 2014b,d)
rediscovered M. cheesmanii N.W.Simmonds, M.
aviora N.W.Simmonds, M. mannii H.Wendl. ex
Baker, M. ochracea K.Sheph. and M. thomsonii (King
ex Baker) A.M.Cowan & Cowan after a lapse of
more than half of a century.
During intensive explorations in Arunachal
Pradesh and Nagaland since 2010, authors could
nd large populations of M. nagensium, including
from its type locality, ie. Naga hills of Nagaland.
This forms the rst authenticate collection from the
type locality after a lapse of 109 years. A detailed
botanical description of the species is provided to
avoid confusion of the species and to facilitate its
easy identication. Herbarium specimens were
deposited at CALI, and also established a live
germplasm of the species in Calicut University
Botanical Garden (CUBG) for further studies.
Taxonomic treatment
Musa nagensium Prain, J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, Pt.
2, Nat. Hist. 73(1): 21. 1904; Fawc., The Banana
266. 1913; Fischer, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1931(1):
28. 1931; Cheesman, Kew Bull. 3(3): 325. 1948;
Simmonds, Kew Bull. 11(3): 477. 1956; et Kew
Bull. 14(2): 204. 1960; Karthik. et al., Fl. Ind. Enum.
Monocot. 4: 104. 1989; Hore et al., J. Econ. Taxon.
Bot. 16(2): 451. 1992; Liu et al., Bot. Bull. Acad. Sin.
43: 80. 2002; Häkkinen & Väre, Adansonia 30(1): 84.
2008; Häkkinen, Novon 18(3): 336. 2008; et Taxon
62(4): 810. 2013. Fig. 1, 2.
Typus: INDIA, Assam [Nagaland], Jaboca, Abdul
Huq s.n. (K, image!) (Lectotypus, designated by Liu
et al., 2002).
M. nagensium var. hongii Häkkinen, Novon 18(3):
337. 2008; Gogoi, R. Taiwania 58(1): 50. 2013. syn.
nov.
Typus: CHINA, Yunnan, Dehong District,
Yingjiang County, Xima, Mu Lai River, 930 m, 8
January 2006, Wang Hong 8383 (Holotypus: HITBC,
image!).
Plants slender, slightly-suckering, close to parent
plant, 20–25 cm, suckers 3–4, vertically arranged.
Mature pseudostems 3.5–7 m high, 50–60 cm diam.
at the base, greenish yellow or olive green at young
stage, reddish-brown to almost black at maturity,
glaucous, more waxy towards the top, most
conspicuously waxy in young suckers, underlying
color light green with reddish-brown pigmentation
or with reddish-brown large patches, shiny. Leaf
habit drooping, more remote from each other,
lamina 130–210 × 40–46 cm, oblong-lanceolate,
truncate at apex, upper surface green, dull, with
reddish-brown margin, lower surface hardly waxy
though grayish in tone, leaf bases asymmetric, one
side rounded and other auriculated, midrib dorsally
and ventrally yellow-green. Petioles slender, 45–55
cm long, yellow-green, waxy, without any blotches
at the base, petiole bases winged, with red margins
and clasping the pseudostem. Inorescence semi-
pendulous or rst horizontal then pendulous,
peduncle 20–45 cm long, 3–5 cm in diam., dark
green with some purple pigmentation, glaucous,
without grooves. Sterile bracts 1–5, deciduous
A.Joe
et al.
7
Fig. 1.
Musa nagensium
Prain: a. Habitat; b. Leaf apex(ventral surface); c. Leaf base (dorsal surface); d. Cross-section of
petiole; e–i. Male flower parts; e. Entire flower; f. Compound tepal; g. Free tepal; h. Flower without tepals; i. Rudiment
pistilode; j1–j7. Variations in inflorescences; k1–k6. Variations in arrangement of bracts and shape of male bud; l1–l5.
Variations in shape and color pattern of bracts; m1–m2. Variations in fruit bunch; n1–n2. Variations in seed structure and
shape.
8
Regarding the identity, rediscovery and taxonomic history of
Musa nagensium
Fig. 2.
Musa nagensium
Prain: a. Leaf apex; b. Leaf base; c. C.S. of petiole; d male bud; e–j. Male flower parts;
e. Entire flower; f. Compound tepal; g. Free tepal; h. Flower without tepals; i. Pistilode; j. Stamen; k. Fruit bunch.
Illustration by Alfred Joe.
A.Joe
et al.
9
or persistent, 20–30 cm long, green to yellow-
orange, glaucous adaxially. Female bud almost
cylindrical or lanceolate, highly imbricated or
imbrications conned to apex. Bracts 13–23 × 5–10
cm, oblong-lanceolate, smooth, adaxially yellow-
orange combined with brick red or variables
of red, yellow and orange, margins red, waxy,
abaxially orange, shiny, apex obtuse, lifting one
bract at a time, not revolute before falling. Basal
4–8 hands female. Flowers 4–12 per bract in two
rows, Male bud lanceolate to cylindrical, highly
imbricate or imbrications conned to apex, rachis
falling vertically, growing around 1 m. Bracts
comparatively remote on the slender rachis give
the bud highly imbricate nature, 9.5–19 × 5–8.5 cm,
smooth, lanceolate, adaxially glaucous, mixed with
orange-yellow and brick red or yellow, margins
red, apex green or orange, obtuse, adaxially
creamy orange to orange, shiny, lifting one bract
at a time, just open, deciduous or persistent, the
bud growing at maturity of fruits. Male owers
on average 8–16 per bract in two rows, 4.8–6.4 cm
long, falling with the bract, bract scars prominent.
Compound tepal 3.9–5 × 0.9–1.4 cm, creamy orange,
ribbed at dorsal angles, and with 5-toothed orange
lobes, outer two lobes much larger, 0.6–0.7 × 0.5 cm.
Free tepal 2.8–3.7 × 0.8–1.9 cm, translucent cream,
boat-shaped, corrugated at apex, incised along
margins or not, apex acuminate, with or without
acumen. Stamens 5, 3.5–4.5 cm long, exserted,
lament cream to white, 1.9–2.2 cm long, anther
cream to golden yellow, 1.4–2.7 cm long, apex
curved backwards. Ovary straight, rudiment, 1.5–
1.7 cm long, creamy white with yellow tinge, style
straight, inserted, 3–4.1 cm long, stigma globose,
cream to creamy yellow. Fruit bunch lax, with
4–8 hands and 4–12 fruits per hand, in two rows,
clavate-oblong, hanging in slender rachis and
pointed towards the male bud, straight, distinctly
angular, green to dark green, glaucous, sometimes
with black spots, long stalked, individual fruit
12–15 cm long, pedicel 1.8–2 cm long, glabrous,
apex slightly pointed, without any oral relicts,
immature fruit pulp white, becoming white and
soft at maturity, fruits not self-peeling at maturity.
Seeds large, irregularly angular, somewhat warty,
0.9–1.4 mm across, 0.5–0.6 mm high, tapered
towards the circum-hilar area, brown-black except
for the circum-hilar region which is white, 25–40
per fruit.
Flowering and fruiting: June – December.
Specimens examined: INDIA, Arunachal Pradesh,
Changlang, Way to Khela, 450 m, 18 .10.1959,
R.S.Rao 20280 (ASSAM, CAL); 9 mile, way to
Changlang, N 27° 13.067’ E 095° 43.402’, 444 m,
16.08.2011, A. Joe & Sreejith 130709 (CALI), Way
to Changlang, N 27° 13.234’ E 095° 43.583’, 446
m, 16.08.2011, A. Joe & Sreejith 130713 (CALI);
Nagaland, Jaboca District, Naga Hills, 16.05.1899,
Abdul Huq s.n. (CAL, K); Tingali Bam, 16.06.1899,
Abdul Huq s.n. (CAL, K); Mokokchung District,
Minkgong Reserve Forest, Momgsanyemti, N 26°
25.936’ E 094° 37.565’, 1063 m, 27.11.2012, A. Joe &
Ashfak 121605 (CALI), Minkgong Reserve Forest,
N 26° 26.068’ E 094° 38.053’, 1029 m, 27.11.2012, A.
Joe & Ashfak 121606 (CALI). West Bengal, Calcua
Botanical Garden (Cultivated), 1904, D. Prain
(CAL); Darjeeling District, Kalimpong, Kenibreed
plants (originally collected from Changlang
area of Arunachal Pradesh), N 27° 03.455’ E 088°
28.151’, 1253 m, 21.04.2013, M. Sabu 130770 (CALI).
MYANMAR, Myitkyina District, Tagwin Chaung,
400 ft., 24.11.1928, C.E. Parkinson 1759 (K).
Distribution and Ecology: China, Myanmar, India
and Thailand. In India M. nagensium is widely
distributed in some areas of Arunachal Pradesh
and Nagaland, occurring typically at elevations
from 400–1100 m in moist ravines. This species is
found inside the thick forests in moist ravines in
small populations, also near small water streams in
black humus soil. We can also nd big populations
in open places in forest slopes.
Conservation status: M. nagensium is widely
distributed in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.
Also common in some areas of China, Myanmar
and Thailand. Based on the eld experience for the
past several years, it is kept under Least Concern
(LC) category according to IUCN Red List Criteria
(IUCN, 2011).
Notes: M. nagensium can be easily distinguished
from the other members of sect. Musa by the
characteristic slender pseudostem, slightly
suckering plant, widely spaced leaves, intense
wax on the lower surface of leaves, imbricate male
bud and also in the fruits. Fruit bunch instead
of being curved backwards as in most species,
point persistently forward and downward in the
direction of the apex of the long pendulous rachis.
Etymology: The specic epithet ‘nagensium’ is based
on its type location, ie. Naga Hills of Nagaland.
Notes on Variation: M. nagensium shows remarkable
variation in pseudostem, inorescence, buds,
bracts, fruits and seeds in dierent conditions
within populations and also under cultivation (Fig.
1, j–n). The variation in inorescence is portrayed
in the presence or absence of female owers and
fruits. The imbricate nature of male bud shows
10
Regarding the identity, rediscovery and taxonomic history of
Musa nagensium
Literature Cited
Baker, J.G. 1892. Musaceae. In. Hooker. The ora
of British India. Vol. 4. London: L. Reeve & Co.
pp. 261-263.
Cheesman, E.E. 1948. Classication of the Bananas:
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Fawce, W. 1913. The Banana: Its Cultivation,
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Fischer, C.E.C. 1931. Musa nagensium. Contribution
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high degree of variation from prominent or
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shades of yellow, orange, red and green (Fig.1.
k4 - male bud in wild condition, k2, k3, k6 - the
same under cultivation in dierent seasons). The
shape, size and color of fruits as well as seeds vary
considerably. Seeds within a fruit shows smooth
or warty surface.
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to the Department of
Science and Technology, New Delhi, for the
nancial assistance for the research projects on
Indian Marantaceae and Musaceae (Sanction No.
SR/SO/PS-115/09, dtd 19.08.2010). We also thank
the ocers of the Forest Department, Arunachal
Pradesh and Nagaland for granting permission
and providing necessary help for the eld studies
in the forest. Thanks are also due to Shyam Sunder
Agarwal (Assam) and Mr. Santanu Dey (Nagaland)
for their help during the collection of specimens.
Alao thankful to Mr. Keshow Chandra Pradhan
(Kenibreed plants, Kalimpong) for collecting,
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Received: 11.11.2013
Revised and accepted: 28.05.2014