Assessment of the validity of the sections in Musa (musaceae) using AFLP.

Musa L. (Musaceae) is currently separated into five sections (Musa. Rhodochlamys, Callimusa, Australimusa and Ingentimusa) based on chromosome numbers and morphological characters. However, the validation of this classification system is questioned due to the common occurrence of hybridizations across sections and the system not accommodating anomalous species. This study employed amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) in a phenetic examination of the relationships among four sections (material of sect. Ingentimusa was not available) to evaluate whether their genetic differences justify distinction into separate groups. Using eight primer combinations, a total of 276 bands was scored, of which 275 were polymorphic. Among the monomorphic bands, 11 unique markers were identified that revealed the distinct separation of the 11-chromosome species from the 10-chromosome species. AFLP results suggest that species of sect. Rhodochlamys should be combined into a single section with species of sect. Musa, and likewise for species of sect. Australimnusa to be merged with those of sect. Callimusa.