Plantain diversity in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Plantain diversity in DRC
Boofo, a small French Plantain (photo by Benoit Dheda Djailo)
The diversity of Plantains in the Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the highest in Africa. This page is based on the accessions that were introduced to the field collection of the University of Kisangani between 2005 and 2012. Their characterization produced a list of 97 cultivars1 2 . They are listed by type — French, False Horn and Horn — which are distinguished by the presence or absence/degeneration of the male bud. Within a cluster, the cultivars are further sorted according to their size (small, medium or giant). Dwarf types can also be observed.
Contents
French Plantains
Small types
| Akpasi | Fruits shorter than Boofo’s, almost perpendicular to floral axis |
| Amagaba | Long fruits; very lax bunch |
| Boofo | Fruits perpendicular to floral axis and arched |
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Angbongbolia
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Like Boofo but with blunt fruit apex
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Boosa
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Like Boofo but with black pseudostem
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Boofo Red
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Like Boofo but with red pseudostem
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Manimani
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Like Boofo but with yellowish immature peel
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| Gwekwele | Fruit parallel to the floral axis and with rigid pedicel |
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Engwe
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Like Gwekwele but with wine-red fruit peel colour
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Ifel(eng)ete Ya Bolome
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Like Gwekwele but with black streaks on the pericarp
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Ngindaolo
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Like Gwekwele but with blunt apex
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| Kenjala | Red pseudostem, intermediate fruits with slightly waxy peel |
Medium types
Typical variants
| Adili | Dark green pseudostem and fruits with blunt apex |
| Afati | Red pseudostem and fruit-tips bending outwards (abaxially) |
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Afati Wine Red
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Weak red fruit colour at the emergence of hand, becoming wine-red at maturity.
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Afati Black
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Medium Afati with black pseudostem
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Akadja
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Dark green pseudostem and fruits with salient apex. Looks like medium variant of Litete (a giant type)
|
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Luizi
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Like Afati but with green pseudostem and yellow fruit peel before maturity
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Ongua
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Like Afati but with green fruit-peel colour at emergence of hands, which progressively becomes red with the maturity
|
| Amakoko II | With intermediate fruit apex and outward bending fruit tips |
| Bakpala | Red pseudostem with sub-horizontal bunch |
| Lolipili | Dark green pseudostem with red petiole margins and dark green fruit peel |
| Magoma I | With blunt apex. Looks like medium form of Lindimama |
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Magoma II
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Like Magoma I but with outward bending fruittips
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| Masekpe | Medium variant of Kodje (a giant French Plantain) |
| Sika | Black streaks on pericarp |
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Bhegisi
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Like Sika but with black pseudostem
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| Sugbe | Red pseudostem and leaves, green salient fruits |
| Yelola | Red pseudostem and bright red fruit-peel at emergence, becoming rusty-red at maturity |
| Yumba | Prototype of medium French plantain with slightly curved fruits |
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Yumba Black
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Like Yumba but with black pseudostem
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Atypical variants
| Buambala | With 1 fruit per hand |
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Bondele
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Like Buambala but with yellowish fruit
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| Egbe-O-Mabese II | Horn-like fruits, neutral-and-male flowers French-like, but degenerating male bud |
| Kambolokoso | Pronounced wrinkles on the fruit |
| Maboto | Unusually long pedicels |
Giant types
Typical variants
| Akokailongo | Green pseudostem with green fruit-peel colour at emergence of hands, which progressively becomes red at maturity |
| Aleke | Spiraloid bunch |
| Amakoko I | Green pseudostem and intermediate fruit apex |
| Bokoka Liloka | Red pseudostem with blunt apex |
| Bolomaise | Slightly angled bunch with 9-12 hands and blunt apex |
| Bosakaraka I | Bunch with ? 12 hands, salient and outward bending fruit tips |
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Andula
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Like Bosakaraka I but with black pseudostem
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Boleko
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Like Bosakaraka I but with white streaks on the pericarp
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Bosakaraka II
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Like Bosakaraka I but with blunt apex
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| Bosua | 9-12 hands. Fruits larger than those of Bosakaraka I, red pseudostem |
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Chwachwa
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Like Bosua but with green pseudostem
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| Kpoolo | Red pseudostem and intermediate fruit apex |
| Kodje | Very compact bunch with bottle-necked fruit apex |
| Lindimama | Short fruits with very blunt apex |
| Litete | Dark green pseudostem and fruits |
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Atili
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Like Litete but with white streaks on the pericarp
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| Lokoka | The inner side fruits very intermingled |
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Wilingwa
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Like Lokoka but with 2 or 3 clumps just before the male bud
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Yeli
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Like Lokoka but with yellowish pericarp before maturity
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| Mongele | Red pseudostem with yellow pericarp before maturity |
Atypical variants
| Inekeleikumi | Unusually short, fat and straight fruits with intermediate apex |
| Libanga Liboelabokoi | Monoserial with green pseudostem |
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Libanga Lib. red
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Like Libanga Liboelabokoi but with red pseudostem
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Ketota
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Like Libanga Liboelabokoi but with yellow fruit peel before maturity
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Semi-dwarf types
| Akoy | Blunt apex and green pseudostem |
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Amuku
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Like Akoy but with red pseudostem
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Dwarf types
| Nguku | Dwarf with a compact bunch |
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Yungu
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Like Nguku but with a red pseudostem colour
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False Horn Plantains
Small types
| Akoto | Quasi-blunt fruit apex; pendulous bunch |
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Boon
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Like Akoto but with straight fruits
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Bubungu
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Like Akoto but with fleshy flower relicts on fruit apex
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| Amakake | Fruits perpendicular to floral axis and arched |
| Babele Ba Poku | Yellowish immature and straight fruits on pendulous bunch |
| Leese | Small form of the medium type Libanga Likale |
Medium types
| Egbe-O-Mabese I | Distinct from Egbe-O-Mabese II (a medium French Plantain) because of the relict bracts at the end of the rachis |
| Libanga Likale | At maturity, the bunch looks pendulous, asymmetric in fruit orientation, pointing to sub-horizontal |
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Apoka
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Like Libanga Likale but with blunt apex
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Kese
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Like Libanga but with black streaks on the pericarp
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Libanga Lifombo
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Like Libanga but with red pseudostem. Shows trend to Giant form.
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Libanga Multiple
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Like Libanga but with bunch split in 2 or more
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Libanga Black
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Like Libanga but with black pseudostem
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Libanga Dark Green
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Like Libanga but with dark green pseudostem and fruits
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Mangweyangweya
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Like Libanga but with white streaks on the pericarp
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Mogbokuma
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Like Libanga but with curved fruits like horn
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Mongobe
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Like Libanga but with green fruit-peel colour at emergence of hands, which progressively becomes red with the maturity
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Nembundu
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Like Libanga but with wine-red fruit colour in the maturity
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| Lingu | Yellowish immature and curved fruits on pendulous bunch. |
| Taena Pambe | Sub-horizontal bunch with blunt apex fruit apex |
Semi-dwarf types
| Bokpeta | Semi-dwarf Libanga with longer male inflorescence than usual for False Horn | |
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Mumuliagbia
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Like Bokpeta but with a horizontal bunch and shorter fruits
|
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| Apoka Magbuge | Short and ‘fat’ fruits, with almost blunt apex and dried flower vestiges |
Horn Plantains
Small types
| Nselenge | Pendulous bunch with fruits perpendicular to the inflorescence axis |
Medium types
| Lokusu | Pendulous, long fruits; yellowish immature pericarp; green pseudostem; 2-4 hands |
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Lokusu Red
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Like Lokusu but with red pseudostem
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Mongo
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Like Lokusu but with more than 4 hands
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Giant types
| Ikpolo | Horizontal to erect fruits, always green when immature |
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Bokangasoku
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Like Ikpolo but with a single straight and radically ageotropic hand
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Ikpolo Black
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Like Ikpolo but with black pseudostem
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Ikpolo Red
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Like Ikpolo but with red pseudostem
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Moikili
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Like Ikpolo but with dark green pseudostem and fruit
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Dwarf type
| Tala Lola | Dwarf form of Ikpolo |
References
1
Adheka Giria, J. 2014. Contribution to the characterization and classification of the Congo basin African plantains (Musa AAB) in the Democratic Republic of Congo. University of Kisangani, Kisangani, DRC. PhD Thesis. 119p.
2
The Plantains of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 28 July 2014 issue of InfoMus@.