Image Credit:

Scientific name: Musa acuminata

Common name(s): Banana

Name as shown in Phylogenes: Banana

Ploidy: Diploid

Description:

Musa acuminata, also known as banana, is a giant perennial monocot herb native to Southeast Asia. It is a member of the Zingiberales, that includes a variety of other banana types and ornamental plants, and is a sister clade to the Poales, the cereal group. Bananas, starchy and sweet, are an important food source in many tropical and subtropical countries where they are essential for food security.

Comparison of banana with other eudicots has been useful in bridging gaps in genome evolution studies and identification of conserved non-coding sequences. Banana cultivars are usually triploid and a mix of M. acuminata (A genome) and M. balbisiana (B genome).

Reference(s):

D'Hont A, Denoeud F, et al. The banana (Musa acuminata) genome and the evolution of monocotyledonous plants. Nature. 2012 Aug 9;488(7410):213-7. doi: 10.1038/nature11241.

Genome Database(s):

MusaBase

Banana Genome Hub