The hosta shown above was labeled as H. 'Banana Boat'. However, it does not fit the description of this cultivar since it lacks the medial (center) white variegation...perhaps it is a reversion to the green type or...is incorrectly labeled. We will be on the lookout for another specimen to photograph.
 

This medium size (12 inches high by 20 inches wide) plant was registered by Wm and Eleanor Lachman of Massachusetts in 1991. It is a seedling of the cross between an unnamed seedling × H. 'Reversed'. It has dark green foliage with an ivory white medial (center) variegation. Pale lavender flowers bloom in July.

The New Encyclopedia of Hostas by Diana Grenfell (2009) states: "Needs careful placing so that it will get sufficient sun to provide vigor but not so much that it burns the leaf center. Slow to increase but is has a better constitution than many hostas of this type."

Similar hostas include H. 'Cherry Berry', H. 'Hot Lips' and H. 'Joyce Trott'.

An article by Akira Horinaka in The Hosta Journal (2006 Vol. 37 No. 1) says,  "Other white-centered hostas with bold green borders are 'Banana Boat', 'Warwick Delight', 'Pandora's Box', 'Sea Thunder' and 'Fire and Ice'. Those with a narrow green border include 'Morinji Nishiki', 'Otome-no-mai', 'Hakuba' and 'White Christmas'."

Mikiko Lockwood in an article on The Hosta Library titled, A Little About Japanese Hosta Terms defines the term otome as maiden, 'Otome Giboshi' or H. venusta and the term nishiki as brocade (rich-colored woven fabric) i.e. something colorful and beautiful.

An article by Warren I. Pollock in The Hosta Journal (2003 Vol. 34 No. 1) states that, "In my view, boat-shaped or "keeled" is a better descriptor than folded. The leaf blade curves upward from the midrib similar to how a canoe looks...H. 'Stetson', 'Cowrie', 'Banana Boat', and 'Blue Canoe' are some other hostas with this folded or keeled leaf shape."

"Registered by Eleanor and William Lachman in 1991 and to be introduced by Hatfield Gardens, this was the hosta that most caught my eye at the 1992 AHS Convention both in the Cut-Leaf Show and in the garden. It has a narrow leaf with the center variegated, but again it is the dark green color that is distinctive. The border is also extra wide (or the cream center narrow), making the plant more vigorous. Time will tell how good a hosta this is in a large clump, but it is worth looking for."