摘要

Within the genus Musa (Musaceae) there are five sections. One of these sections is Musa (formerly called Eumusa), which possess predominately pendant inflorescences and are responsible for the production of edible bananas which are of great importance around the world as a food source. Another section of the genus Musa is Rhodochlamys. Most members of this section possess erect inflorescences with brightly colored bracts and are grown mainly for their ornamental value. Intersectional hybrids between the sections Musa and Rhodochlamys have been reported in the past but these hybrids were not characterized or described in any detail by the authors. In this manuscript a new intersectional hybrid banana, Musaxgeorgiana Rich. H. Wallace hyb. nov. grown in Richmond Hill, Georgia, USA is described and illustrated. The plant has as its maternal parent, Musa balbisiana, a member of M. sect. Musa and one of the seeded ancestors of edible bananas. The paternal parent is Musa velutina, a brightly coloured member of M. sect. Rhodochlamys, grown worldwide for its ornamental value. The resulting hybrid, M.xgeorgiana, provides useful information for banana breeding programs around the world and has ornamental potential as well. In light of the pest and disease pressure edible bananas are experiencing, the incorporation of genetic resources from other members of the genus is becoming increasingly important in the development of new hybrid edible bananas. A comparison of the characteristics of M.xgeorgiana with those of the parent species is provided.