Do you have balbisiana?

True. Many plants can only be IDed by looking at the flowers. Unfortunately, that takes a while (sometimes a LONG while) with naners.
You have given us such a great resource with the photos, pitangadiego. thank you!!!

seahorse

The photos are all truly stunning - but almost border on banana porn :-)! Try having a 10-yr old daughter looking over your shoulder when you've got pitangadiego's photos loaded! And yes, reproductive structures are the distinguishing features used to identify many plant species, varieties, cultivars, or taxa. But the shape and color of pistils [F] and stamens [M] might be affected by the maturity of the flower so that straight stamens become curly with age. And I doubt that pollen would be of any help? I still think that the only sure way is genetic analysis.

Donn

I have one seeded banana which could be Balbisiana, but do not know for sure.

I am no botanist, and Donn may have some very valid points, but I do not believe that any of these flowers ever looked the same at any stage of the flowering process (male stage). My posting was not really an assertion, just an observation of what might be possible if someone had the time and wherewithal to undertake a comprehansive study that could put together an identification chart. Eventually I will have pictures of 80 or so varieties, but would still need some broader investigation to determine if mine were properly named in the first place.

I think you're probably right - those structures are pretty species-specific. It sure is better than looking at leaves, petioles, pseudostems and the like. And while I have a PhD in botany, my specialty was freshwater diatom [a type of algae] taxonomy and ecology - so I'm pretty ignorant of vascular plants. But in the old pre-genomic days, floral parts ruled - I think you could generate a key based on the photos [if you're sure what's what]. And the photos - I can't compliment them enough. They are outstanding!

Donn

IF you can get the $%^& things to bloom........

Pitanga,
You need to create a web site banana resource with all your great pictures. For each species/variety you could post pics of the flowers, plant form, leaves (top and bottom surfaces), etc. It would make a great resource! A lot of work, but a great resource. Great close-ups. ~Dave

Dave,

Your wish is my command. We Be Bananas though not all the latest pix are included yet.

Sandy,

I can sympathize, but do not know your frustration experientially. In San Diego, you just add swater and fertilizer and compost and wait two years.

Pitangadiego, thanks for the great pictures. I think some of the differences in flowers are quite obvious from your pictures.

What?? you mean you actually add fertilizer??? lol. just kidding. But bananas do grow like weeds in Southern California.

Thanks for the great pics pitangadiego!

Shall we ban the pictures of all flowers as they are truly very showy reproductive organs of plants?

Some recent theories suggests that the Stonehenge is believed to be one giant symbol or representation of the woman's reproductive system. Shall we destroy these as well?

I think it depends upon our individual minds to view them in terms of uncontaminated beauty or with dirty malicious minds. Unfortunately, the very same reasoning "artists" would love to argue when "admiring" nude human pictures.

Pitangadiego,
Your photos are truly beautiful. Thank you for sharing them.
Kenzie.

This is already known and used a lot by scientists. At the site of inibap : www.inibap.org you can find at the musalogue descriptions of different varieties and species.

Dirk

{{gwi:418813}}
{{gwi:420227}}
{{gwi:420221}}

{{gwi:419421}}

{{gwi:418696}}