''Musella lasiocarpa'' (

syn. The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently. * In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnae ...

''Musa lasiocarpa''), commonly known as Chinese dwarf banana, golden lotus banana or Chinese yellow banana, is the sole species in the genus ''Musella''. It is thus a close relative of bananas, and also a member of the family

Musaceae Musaceae is a family of flowering plants composed of three genera with about 91 known species, placed in the order Zingiberales. The family is native to the tropics of Africa and Asia. The plants have a large herbaceous growth habit with leaves ...

. The plant is native to the Yunnan province in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, where it grows high in the mountains up to an altitude of 2500 m. It is known for its erect, yellow pseudostems (see image), generally appearing during the second year of cultivation, that can last a few months. Just before opening, the yellow, flower-like pseudostem resembles a

lotus Lotus may refer to: Plants *Lotus (plant), various botanical taxa commonly known as lotus, particularly: ** ''Lotus'' (genus), a genus of terrestrial plants in the family Fabaceae **Lotus flower, a symbolically important aquatic Asian plant also ...

- from which the plant gets one of its names. Under its synonym ''Musa lasiocarpa'', this plant has won the Royal Horticultural Society's

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

. It can be grown outside, but requires protection from freezing temperatures. Musella lasiocarpa at Hampton Court Flower Show

References

External links

Bananas.org: ''Musella lasiocarpa''
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q5100760, from2=Q10484406, from3=Q39271525 Musaceae Flora of Yunnan Trees of China