Randy, I didn't notice that collar you are referring to...I'll have to check it in the morning!
As far as your comment goes, if the next pup emerges 60 miles south of me in your backyard, I may raise an eyebrow, lol.
The leaves on this plant are getting huge. It is an impressive banana to stand next to! I just have this sinking feeling that it won't be very cold-hardy. I've learned that this variety of M. itinerans grows in the valleys and ravines in the Xishuang province, not at high elevations (500-1000 meters). Still, I definitely have my fingers crossed that it will make it here. I'm not digging it up in the Fall.