Neo Ornamental Banana from Vietnam
A new ornamental banana was displayed for the first time at the recent garden show in Los Banos. This is the Musa exotica ‘R. Valmayor’ named after Dr. Ramon Valmayor, formerly of UP Los Banos and the International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain (INIBAP). The new species was collected by Dr. Valmayor and Le Dinh Danh of the Phu Ho Fruit Research Center from the Cuc Phuong Forest in Vietnam in 1994.
The new banana species produces many vertical suckers, originating close to the parent plant. The slender pseudo stem grows about one to two meters high with light green and purplish blotches. The leaves are oblong up to 1.5 meters long, 25 to 40 cm wide, with the upper and lower surface light green in color.
The very attractive feature of this new species is the erect inflorescence, its peduncle 10 to 15 cm long, smooth, yellow green; and flower bud is ovoid with bright orange red bracts, very prominently standing above the leaves of the plant.
The male bud in the advanced flowering plant is erect, about 10 cm long and 4 cm wide with bright orange red bracts. Fruits are yellow, few, 2 to 3 per hand, and small.
Popularity: 2%
Popularity: 2%
