Résumé
Genetic variation within and between the Polynesian Eumusa bananas from Hawai'i, the Marquesas, and the Society Islands is described. Morphological, isozymic, ethnographic, and linguistic-assessments of accessions are used to identify base clones and somatic mutants. A historical review of relevant studies is summarized. than 70 different bananas at that time. Notwithstanding, after systematic collecting and assessment, Pope (1926) recognized only 18 distinct cultivars: the undifferentiated 'Mai'a 'oa' clone and 17 morphotypes belonging to the three principal Polynesian base clones, iholena, maoli, and popo 'ulu (see Materials and Methods section for explanation of taxonomic terminology). Four additional morphotypes of the base clones and a fifth undifferentiated cultivar, 'Hiipai', were later recognized (Pope 1927) from fragmentary accounts of earlier writers, such as Thrum (1890), Higgins (1904), and MacCaughey (1918). Elsewhere in Polynesia, Brown (1931) claimed that "not less than 75 varieties seem to have been cultivated by the ancient Marquesans," though he cited only 50 names, some of which clearly refer to recent introductions and others to Musa fehi Bert. ex Vieill. bananas of the Australimusa series. Dordillon (1931-1932) cited 40 banana names; as in Brown, several references were recent arrivals (e.g., kina undoubtedly refers to Chinese or Cavendish clones) and at least one, huetu, refers to M. fehi. The geographic origin of these bananas has been a longstanding subject of speculation and debate among banana taxonomists. Mac-Daniels (1947) suggested that the Hawaiian bananas were brought by the Polynesians from the Marquesas or the Society Islands. Simmonds (1954) initially concluded that the Hawaiian cultivars originated in Malaya or Indo-Malaya, from whence they were spread