Taxonomy
Taxonomically speaking, the Grand Nain is a monocot and belongs to the genus Musa. Species designations are difficult when considering bananas because nearly all banana cultivars are descendants and/or hybrids of the Musa acuminata or Musa balbisiana, wild species that have been propagated for agricultural use.
The Grand Nain is a cultivar of the well known Cavendish bananas. This group of bananas is distinguished from other groups by their AAA genotype. The AAA genotype refers to the fact that this group is a triploid variant of the species M. acuminata. There are 33 chromosome present in the AAA cultivar and all produce seedless fruits through parthenocarpy. This fact means that the plants are spread by conventional vegetative methods and lack sexual reproduction. This inability to genetically diversify makes Grand Naines as well as other AAA cultivars vulnerable to disease and pests.
The accepted name of Grand Nain is Musa acuminata (AAA Group) 'Grand Nain'.
'Grand Nain' or 'Grand Naine' literally translates from French meaning "Large Dwarf."
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