''Musella lasiocarpa'' ( syn. ''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. The plant is native to the

Yunnan province Yunnan , () is a landlocked province in the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the C ...

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

pseudostem A stem is one of two main structural axes of a vascular plant, the other being the root. It supports leaves, flowers and fruits, transports water and dissolved substances between the roots and the shoots in the xylem and phloem, stores nutrie ...

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

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...

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