Musella is a rhizomatous monotypic genus composed of a single species, Musella lasiocarpa. This species was first places in Musa, then in Ensete, and back to Musa before its monotypic status was recognized. In 2025 it is placed in Musella. Musella splendida R.V.Valmayor & D.D.Lê was described from Vietnam in 2002, but in 2025 it is considered to be a synonym of Musella lasiocarpa.
Musella lasiocarpa (Franch.) C.Y. Wu ex H.W. Li , syn. Ensete lasiocarpum (Franch.), syn. Musa lasiocarpa Franch. was described in an earlier wiki entry as being native to the western and southwestern Yunnan and southern Guizhou provinces of China to northern Vietnam. References in 2025 describe it either as extinct or known to exist on cliffs within the watershed of upper Yangtze River and its tributaries, in northern Yunnan and southern Sichuan provinces in China, but difficult to find. Commonly called Chinese dwarf banana, golden lotus banana or Chinese yellow banana it has floral bracts that are yellowish green to yellow, sometimes orange near the margins and grows from 3-5 ft. Because of the far northern range of the species, it can withstand a little bit of frost and can be grown in USDA zone 9 with protection. It can also be grown outdoors in the Bay Area (California), although it is much slower and care should be taken to keep the plant from frosty nights. The photos below were taken by Nhu Nguyen from the Missouri Botanical Garden where it grows outside in the summer in a pot in very bright sun for much of the day. Photo 6 shows the fruit that self-dehisced, revealing the banana-like character.
