The taxonomy and origins of the cultivated bananas.

A taxonomic scoring method is used to classify the edible bananas and to provide evidence on their evolution. Edible diploid forms of Musa acuminata are thought to be the primary source of the whole group to which another species, M, baibisiana, has contributed by hybridization. Thus there exist diploid and triploid edible forms of M. acuminata and diploid, triploid and tetraploid hybrid types of genetic constitutions that vary according to their histories. There is a faint possibility that a third wild species has contributed to the origins of a small group of triploid hybrid types. Triploidy was probably established under human selection for vigour and fruit size; tetraploidy is inexplicably rare. The centre of origin of the group is Indo-Malaya and Malaya is probably the primary centre. The two Ldnnaean species M. paradisiaca and M. sapientum refer to identifiable edible varieties which are both shown here to be of hybrid origin. The names therefore may be rejected from the nomenclature of the wild bananas.