Banana plant description. A surprisingly healthy banana is a swollen tourist from hot countries. Banana palm and banana tree. Do bananas grow on palm trees?

All of us, well, or many of us, love bananas and eat them with pleasure. But at the same time, no one knows what it is. Some believe that a banana is a berry, others that a banana is a fruit. And not everyone can answer the question of a banana - is it a grass or a tree!
A cruel joke is played with us by what we see in cartoons and films, where a monkey climbs a palm tree and eats bananas. And therefore we believe that they grow on palm trees, which means that a banana is a tree. No matter how!

In fact, the banana we love so much is a grass, that is, the fruit of a herbaceous plant. Even though it's called " banana tree”- has nothing to do with trees. In fact, it is a large pile of leaves, on top of which is something that looks like a palm tree. The flower bud grows in a stem that sits right in the middle of these leaves. Another thing is that this grass can grow to a rather large size, and therefore many people confuse a bush with a palm tree. This is probably the most big plant in the world.

Now let's figure it out: a banana is a berry or a fruit. It turns out that a banana is a berry. It originated in Southeast Asia and arrived in India thousands of years ago. It is, in fact, one of the oldest known fruits for mankind. Wild varieties of bananas, found in Malaysia and Southeast Asia, contain large and hard seeds combined with very little pulp. This berry is eaten not only raw, but also boiled, fried, boiled, and even wine is made from it.
By the way, the word "banana" itself is of African origin and is most likely associated with the Arabic word "banana", which means "finger" or "fingers".

Banana (lat. Musa) is a perennial herbaceous plant that belongs to the flowering department, the monocotyledonous class, the ginger-colored order, the banana family, the banana genus.

Origin of the word "banana"

Accurate information about the origin Latin definition Musa is not available. Some researchers believe that the banana was named in memory of the court physician Antonio Musa, who was in the service of Octavian Augustus, the Roman emperor who ruled in the last decades BC. e and the first years of our era. According to another theory, it comes from the Arabic word "موز‎", which sounds like "muses" - the name of the edible fruit produced by this plant. The concept of "banana" passed into the Russian language as a free transliteration of the word "banana" from the dictionaries of almost all European languages. Apparently, this definition was borrowed by Spanish or Portuguese sailors at the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th century from the vocabulary of the tribes living in West Africa.

Banana - description, structure, characteristics and photographs.

Despite the fact that in appearance a banana resembles a tree, in fact a banana is a grass, namely a herbaceous plant with powerful roots, a short stem that does not come to the surface, and 6-20 large leaves. After bamboo, banana is the tallest grass in the world. The banana fruit is a berry.

Trunk and roots.

Numerous fibrous roots that form the root system can spread to the sides up to 5 meters and deepen in search of moisture up to 1.5 meters. The false trunk of a banana, reaching a height of 2 to 12 meters and having a diameter of up to 40 cm, has dense and long leaves that overlap each other.

Banana leaves.

Banana leaves are oblong or oval in shape, their length can exceed 3 meters, and their width can reach 1 meter. One large longitudinal vein clearly appears on their surface, from which many small perpendicular veins extend. The color of banana leaves is varied. Depending on the species or variety, it can be completely green, with maroon spots. various shapes or two-tone - painted in crimson shades below and juicy green tones on top. As the banana matures, the old leaves die off and fall to the ground, while the young ones develop inside the false trunk. The refresh rate of one banana leaf at favorable conditions happens in 7 days.

How does a banana bloom?

Active growth of bananas lasts from 8 to 10 months, after which the flowering phase begins. At this time, a long peduncle sprouts up from the underground tuberous stem up through the entire trunk. Having made its way out, it forms a complex inflorescence, which in its shape resembles a kind of kidney. large sizes, painted in purple or green hues. Banana flowers are arranged in tiers at its base. At the very top are large female flowers that form fruits, below are medium bisexual banana flowers, and even lower are small male flowers, which have the smallest sizes.

Regardless of size, the banana flower consists of 3 tubular petals with 3 sepals. Most bananas have white petals, while the leaves that cover them outside surface purple, and the inner dark red. Depending on the type or variety of banana, inflorescences are of two types: upright and drooping.

At night, female flowers are pollinated by bats, and in the morning and afternoon by small mammals or birds. As the banana fruits develop, they become similar to a hand with many fingers growing on it.

At its core, the banana fruit is a berry. Its appearance depends on the species and cultivar. It can be oblong cylindrical or triangular in shape and have a length of 3 to 40 centimeters. Banana skin color can be green, yellow, red and with a silvery tint. As it ripens, the firm flesh becomes soft and juicy. About 300 fruits with a total weight of up to 70 kg can develop from one inflorescence. Banana flesh is creamy, white, orange, or yellow. Banana seeds can be found in wild fruits, and in cultivated species they are almost completely absent. After fruiting is completed, the false stem of the plant dies off, and a new one grows in its place.

Banana palm and banana tree. Do bananas grow on palm trees?

Sometimes a banana is called a banana palm, which is incorrect, since this plant does not belong to the palm family. Banana is a fairly tall plant, so it is not surprising that many people mistake it for a tree. The Greeks and Romans spoke of it as a "wonderful Indian fruit tree" - hence, by analogy with others fruit trees of this region, the expression "banana palm" has spread.

The phrase "banana tree", which is sometimes called a banana, actually refers to plants from the genus Asimina (Latin Asimina), the Annon family, and is associated with the similarity of the fruits of these trees with banana fruits.

Banana is not a fruit, not a tree, not a palm tree. In fact, a banana is a grass (herbaceous plant), and a banana fruit is a berry!

Where do bananas grow?

Bananas grow in countries of the tropical and subtropical zone: in South Asia, Latin America, Malaysia, northeast Australia, and also on some islands of Japan. On an industrial scale, the banana plant is grown in Bhutan and Pakistan, China and India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, the Maldives and Nepal, Thailand and Brazil. On the territory of Russia, bananas grow naturally near Sochi, however, due to the fact that winter temperatures often fall below zero degrees, the fruits do not ripen. Moreover, under prolonged adverse conditions, some plants may die.

Banana composition, vitamins and minerals. What are the benefits of bananas?

Bananas are classified as low-fat, but quite nutritious and energy-rich foods. The pulp of its raw fruits is a quarter composed of carbohydrates and sugars, a third of solids. It contains starch, fiber, pectins, proteins and various essential oils giving the fruit its characteristic aroma. The composition of banana pulp includes minerals and vitamins that are useful and necessary for the human body: potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, iron, sodium, copper, zinc, as well as vitamins B, E, C and PP. Thanks to the unique chemical composition The plant has been used in medicine.

How many calories are in a banana?

Data per 100 grams of product:

calorie green banana - 89 kcal;
calorie content of a ripe banana - 110-120 kcal;
calorie content of an overripe banana - 170-180 kcal;
calorie content of dried banana - 320 kcal.

Since bananas are different in size, the calorie content of 1 banana varies between 70-135 kilocalories:

1 small banana weighing up to 80 g and up to 15 cm long contains approximately 72 kcal;
1 medium banana weighing up to 117 g and more than 18 cm long contains approximately 105 kcal;
1 large banana weighing more than 150 g and more than 22 cm long contains about 135 kcal.

Energy value of a ripe banana (ratio of proteins, fats, carbohydrates) (data per 100 g):

proteins in a banana - 1.5 g (~ 6 kcal);
fats in a banana - 0.5 g (~ 5 kcal);
carbohydrates in a banana - 21 g (~ 84 kcal).

It's important to note that bananas don't do a very good job of curbing hunger, making it worse after a brief satiety. The reason lies in the significant content of sugar, which rises in the blood and after a while increases appetite.

Useful properties of banana. The use of bananas

So what are bananas good for?

Banana pulp is used to relieve inflammatory processes occurring in the oral cavity, as well as a dietary product in the treatment of stomach ulcers and duodenum. In addition, the banana is laxative and is therefore used as a mild laxative. Due to the presence of tryptophan, an amino acid that prevents cell aging and has a beneficial effect on brain function, bananas are recommended to be eaten by the elderly. The presence of potassium and magnesium allows them to be used as a means of preventing high blood pressure and stroke.
Infusion of banana flowers helps in the treatment of diabetes and bronchitis. The juice obtained from banana stems is a good anticonvulsant and sedative.
The invaluable benefits of bananas are concentrated in the peel. Banana skins are used in medicinal purposes. Compresses from young leaves or banana peel contribute to the rapid healing of burns and abscesses on the skin.
Banana peel is used as a fertilizer for both indoor and outdoor flowers. The point is that it contains a large number of phosphorus and potassium. With the help of a banana peel, you can also fight aphids, which cannot tolerate excess potassium. To do this, you just need to make a tincture on banana skins and water the plants with it. The easiest way to use banana skins to fertilize flowers is to simply bury them in the ground. To do this, it is enough to cut the peel into small pieces. After this procedure, even the most tired plants begin to leaf out and bloom. Banana peel decomposes in the ground for 10 days, after which bacteria eat it.
The benefits of bananas are invaluable: even overripe bananas produce a very powerful antioxidant that prevents cancer.

Residents of countries located in temperate latitudes are happy to eat raw peeled bananas as a dessert, add them to ice cream and confectionery. Some peoples prefer dried and canned bananas. Also, this berry is fried and boiled with or without a peel, adding salt, hot spices, olive oil, onion or garlic. Bananas can be used to make flour, chips, syrup, marmalade, honey and wine. In addition to fruits, the banana inflorescence is also eaten: raw inflorescences are dipped in sauce, and boiled ones are added to gravies or soups. Starch is prepared from unripe banana fruits. Boiled banana waste of vegetable and dessert varieties is used as feed for large and small livestock.

The fruits and other parts of the banana are used:

in the leather industry as a black dye;
in the textile industry for the production of fabrics;
for the manufacture of extra strong marine ropes and ropes;
in the construction of rafts and the manufacture of seat cushions;
as plates and trays for serving traditional South Asian dishes in India and Sri Lanka.

Bananas: contraindications and harm.

It is undesirable to eat bananas before bedtime, and also to combine with milk, so as not to provoke fermentation in the stomach and not cause intestinal failure.
People suffering diabetes, eating bananas is prohibited, because they have little glucose and fructose, but a lot of sugar.
Bananas can harm people who suffer from thrombophlebitis, as these berries contribute to blood clots.

Types and varieties of bananas, names and photos.

The genus includes about 70 species of bananas, which, depending on the application, are divided into 3 varieties:

Decorative bananas (inedible);
Plantains (sycamore);
Dessert bananas.

Decorative bananas.

This group includes plants with very beautiful flowers and mostly inedible fruits. They can be wild or grown for beauty. Inedible bananas are also used to make various textile products, car seat cushions and fishing nets. The most famous types of ornamental bananas are:

Banana pointed (lat.Musaacuminata) grown because of the beautiful leaves up to one meter long with a large central vein and many small ones, along which the leaf blade divides over time, acquiring resemblance to a bird feather. The leaves of an ornamental banana are dark green, often there are specimens with a reddish tint. In greenhouse conditions, the height of a pointed banana plant can reach 3.5 meters, although in room conditions it grows no more than 2 meters. The size of the fruits of this type of banana ranges from 5 to 30 centimeters, and their color can be green, yellow and even red. The pointed banana is edible and grows in the countries of southeast Asia, in southern China, India and Australia. In countries with colder climates, this type of banana is grown as ornamental plant.

Blue Burmese banana (lat.Musaitinerans) grows in height from 2.5 to 4 meters. The trunk of a banana is painted in an unusual purple color. green color with a silvery white finish. The color of the leaf plates is bright green, and their length reaches an average of 0.7 meters. The dense peel of the banana fruit has a blue or purple color. The fruits of this banana are unsuitable for food. In addition to its decorative value, the blue banana is used as one of the components of the diet of Asian elephants. Banana grows in the following countries: China, India, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos. This plant can also be grown in a pot.

Banana velvet (velvety, purple, pink) (lat.Musavelutina) has a false trunk height of not more than 1.5 meters with a diameter of about 7 centimeters. Banana leaves, painted in light green, grow up to 1 meter in length and 30 centimeters in width. Many specimens have a red edging along the edge of the leaf plate. The petals of inflorescences, pleasing with their appearance up to six months, are painted purple-pink. The pink peel of a banana is quite thick, and their number in a bunch does not exceed 9 pieces. The length of the fruit is 8 cm. When ripe, the skin of the fruit opens, revealing light flesh with seeds inside.

This variety of banana is used in decorative purposes. It can survive not very cold winter. This banana is also unique in that it will freely bloom and bear fruit almost all year round at home.

Banana bright red (Indochinese banana) (lat.Musacoccinea) is a representative of low-growing plants. Its height rarely exceeds one meter. The shiny surface of narrow bright green banana leaves emphasizes the beauty of inflorescences of juicy scarlet or red color. The flowering period of a banana lasts about 2 months. Grown as an ornamental plant for beautiful orange-red flowers. The birthplace of the Indochinese banana is Southeast Asia.

Banana Darjeeling (lat.Musa sikkimensis) grows up to 5.5 meters in height with a false trunk diameter at the base of about 45 cm. The color of this ornamental banana may have a red tint. The length of gray-green leaves with purple veins often exceeds 1.5-2 meters. Some varieties of the Darjeeling banana have red-tinted leaf plates. Banana fruits are medium-sized, up to 13 cm in length, with a slightly sweet taste. This species is quite frost-resistant and can withstand frosts down to -20 degrees. Banana is grown in many European countries.

Japanese banana, Basho banana or Japanese textile banana (lat. Musa basjoo)- cold-resistant species, reaching a height of 2.5 meters. The surface of the false trunk of a banana is colored greenish or yellowish and covered with a thin waxy layer on which black spots are visible. The length of leaf blades does not exceed 1.5 meters in length and 60 centimeters in width. The color of banana leaves varies from deep dark green at the base of the leaf to pale green at the top. The Japanese banana grows in Japan, as well as in Russia on the Black Sea coast. It is inedible and is grown mainly for fiber, which is used to make clothing, screens, and book bindings.

Banana textile, abaca (lat.Musatextilis) grown to make strong fibers from the leaf sheaths. The height of the false trunk does not exceed 3.5 meters, and the diameter is 20 cm. Narrow green leaves rarely reach a length of more than one meter. The fruits that develop on a drooping brush have a trihedral appearance and sizes up to 8 centimeters. Inside the pulp is a large number of small seeds. The color changes from green to straw yellow as it matures. Textile banana is grown in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Central American countries in order to obtain a durable fiber from which baskets, furniture and other utensils are woven.

Banana Balbisa (fruit) (lat. Musa balbisiana)- This is a large plant with a false stem height of up to 8 meters and a diameter at the base of more than 30 centimeters. Its color changes from green to yellow-green. The length of banana leaves can exceed 3 meters with a width of about 50-60 centimeters. Leaf sheaths are bluish in color and often covered with fine hairs. Fruit sizes reach 10 centimeters in length and 4 cm in width. The color of the banana peel changes with age from light yellow to dark brown or black. Banana fruits are used as feed for pigs. Unripe fruits are preserved. The male flower buds are eaten as a vegetable. Balbis banana grows in India, Sri Lanka and the Malay Archipelago.

Platano (plantains).

Plantain (from French plantain) or plane tree (from Spanish plátano) are rather large bananas, which are mainly (90%) eaten after heat treatment: they are fried in oil, boiled, baked in batter, steamed or made of which are chips. The peel of the plane tree is also used as food. Although there are types of plane trees that, when fully ripe, become softer, sweeter and edible even without prior heat treatment. The color of the sycamore skin can be green or yellow (although they are usually sold greenish), ripe sycamore has a black skin.

Plantains differ from dessert bananas in thicker skin, as well as tougher and almost unsweetened pulp with high content starch. Sycamore varieties have found use both in the human menu and in agriculture, where they are used as livestock feed. In many countries of the Caribbean, Africa, India and South America, dishes made from plane trees are served as side dishes for meat and fish or as a completely independent dish. Usually they are generously flavored with salt, herbs and hot chili peppers.

Types of plane trees intended for heat treatment are divided into 4 groups, in each of which different varieties are distinguished:

French plane trees: varieties ‘Obino l’Ewai’ (Nigeria), ‘Nendran’ (India), ‘Dominico’ (Colombia).
French horn-shaped plane trees: varieties ‘Batard’ (Cameroon), ‘Mbang Okon’ (Nigeria).
False horn-shaped sycamores: varieties ‘Agbagda’ and ‘Orishele’ (Nigeria), ‘Dominico-Harton’ (Colombia).
Horn-shaped plane trees: varieties ‘Ishitim’ (Nigeria), ‘Pisang Tandok’ (Malaysia).

Below is a description of several varieties of platano:

Ground banana (banana da terra) grows mainly in Brazil. The length of the fetus often reaches 25-27 cm, and the weight is 400-500 grams. The peel is ribbed, thick, and the flesh has an orange tint. Raw, platano is slightly astringent in taste, but after cooking it acquires excellent taste characteristics. The leader among plane trees in terms of the content of vitamins of groups A and C.

Plantain Burro (Burro, Orinoco, Horse, Hog)- a herbaceous plant of medium height, resistant to cold. Sycamore fruits 13-15 cm long, enclosed in a trihedral peel. The pulp is dense, with a lemon flavor, raw edible only when overripe, so the variety is usually fried or baked.

- a plant with large fruits up to 20 cm in length. The peel is greenish, slightly rough to the touch, thick. In its raw form, it is inedible due to its strongly astringent taste, but it is perfect for preparing all kinds of dishes: chips, vegetable stews, mashed potatoes. This type of plane tree grows in India, where it is in unprecedented demand among buyers in ordinary fruit shops.

Dessert bananas.

Dessert varieties of bananas are eaten without heat treatment. In addition, they can be harvested for future use, withering or drying. The best known species of this group is banana paradise (lat. Musa paradisiaca). It grows up to 7-9 meters in height. The thick, fleshy banana leaves are up to 2 meters long and are colored green with brown spots. The ripened fruit reaches up to 20 cm in size with a diameter of about 4-5 cm. Up to 300 banana berries can ripen on one plant, the pulp of which practically does not contain seeds.

Almost all species are artificially cultivated. Among them, the following dessert varieties of bananas are widely used:

Banana variety Lady's finger or Lady Finger (Lady Finger) with a rather thin false trunk, reaching a height of 7-7.5 m. These are small bananas, the length of which does not exceed 12 cm. The banana skin of this variety is colored light yellow with thin red-brown strokes. In one bunch of bananas there are usually up to 20 fruits with creamy pulp. It is widely cultivated in Australia and also distributed in Latin America.

up to 8-9 meters high and large fruits that have a thick peel yellow color. The size of a banana fruit can reach 27 cm and weigh more than 200 grams. Banana pulp is creamy in texture. The Gros Michel banana variety tolerates transportation well. Grows in Central America and Central Africa.

Banana variety Dwarf Cavendish(Dwarf Cavendish)- low (1.8-2.4 m) plant with wide leaves. The size of banana fruits varies from 15 to 25 cm. Their ripening is signaled by a bright yellow color of the peel with a small number of small brown spots. Grows in Western and South Africa as well as in the Canary Islands.

Banana variety Ice-cream(IceCream, Cenizo, Krie)- a rather tall plant with a false trunk height of up to 4.5 meters and elongated fruits of four or five-sided shape with sizes up to 23 cm. The color of the peel of an unripe banana has a bluish-silver tint. As they mature, the color of the skin becomes pale yellow. Grown in the Hawaiian Islands, the Philippines and Central America.

Banana variety Red Spanish (Red Spanish) characterized by an unusual purple-red color not only of the false stem, leaf veins, but also of the peel of an unripe banana. As it matures, the skin takes on an orange-yellow hue. The height of the plant can reach 8.5 meters with a trunk diameter at the base of about 45 cm. Fruit sizes are 12-17 cm. These red bananas grow in Spain.

Growing bananas. How do bananas grow?

Most comfortable conditions for growing bananas is the daytime temperature, which is in the range of 26-35 ° C and the night temperature, ranging from 22 to 28 ° C. When the temperature drops environment up to 10 ° C growth completely stops. A strictly defined humidity has no less influence during the entire life cycle of a plant. Long dry periods can lead to the death of the plant. The best places for the organization of banana plantations are fertile acidic soils rich in micro and macro elements.

To control weeds that interfere with normal growth cultivated plants, use not only herbicides, but also mulching the root zone with finely chopped fallen leaves. A good result is the use of geese, which willingly eat juicy green weeds, but are absolutely indifferent to bananas. To restore soil fertility, bananas are fertilized with mineral additives. Depending on the condition of the soil, nitrogen, phosphorus or potash fertilizers are used.

From the moment a banana is planted to the end of fruiting, it usually takes from 10 to 19 months. So that the plant does not break from the weight of the ripening fruits, during the ripening of the banana, supports are installed under the brushes. Bananas are harvested when the crop is no more than 75% ripe. In this state, it is cooled and transported to the consumer. Ripe bananas stored in a special gas-air mixture at a temperature of no more than 14 ° C retain their marketable appearance and taste for 50 days.

Growing bananas at home.

Many types of bananas can be cultivated in a greenhouse or even an apartment. For home growing best fit undersized varieties banana with variegated decorative leaves and beautiful flowers. In order for the plant to feel comfortable, it needs a special substrate consisting of a mixture of universal primer, perlite and finely chopped bark of pine, fir or spruce.

Watering banana.

A homemade banana is very demanding on moisture, but you should not overmoisten the plant. It is not recommended to put a room banana near the batteries central heating or heating appliances. To create the necessary moisture, the leaves and the false trunk of a banana are sprayed with a spray bottle. For irrigation, settled water with a temperature of 25 ° C is used. Watering should be carried out without allowing the substrate to dry out by more than 3 centimeters. In the winter months, banana watering is limited.

Fertilizer banana room.

To provide a homemade banana with microelements, it is carried out by root and leaf feeding. It is advisable to alternate the use of mineral and organic fertilizers. In any case, you should not feed the plant more than once every 2 weeks. Root loosening of the soil has a good effect on the growth of bananas, providing free access of oxygen to the roots of the plant.

Propagation of bananas (vegetative and seeds).

Bananas breed:

seeds;
vegetative method.

It is worth noting that the same plant grown various methods, will have different characteristics.

Growing a homemade banana is quite easy. A banana grown from seeds is more viable, but the plant will take a long time to develop and produce inedible fruits. First, banana seeds must be germinated. To do this, their surface is carefully treated sandpaper or a nail file (a couple of scratches will be enough) so that the sprout can break through the hard shell. Be careful - you do not need to pierce the seed. Then the seeds are soaked in boiled water for several days until sprouts appear. Every 6 hours the water must be changed.

The best container for planting bananas is a shallow pot with a diameter of about 10 centimeters. It is filled with drainage (a layer of expanded clay) 2 cm high and a sand-peat mixture 1: 4 4 cm high. To plant banana seeds, they need to be slightly pressed into the surface of moist soil without falling asleep with earth. After that, cover the container with a transparent film or glass and put it in a well-lit place, excluding direct sun rays. The temperature in the container should be between 27-30 degrees during the day and 25-27 degrees at night. As the substrate dries, it is moistened with a spray bottle. Some gardeners prefer not to remove the film from the container and moisten the substrate through the bottom of the container. If mold appears on the soil, it is necessary to remove it and pour the substrate with a solution of potassium permanganate.

The first banana shoots appear after 2-3 months. From this moment, the active growth of the plant begins, and after 10 days it can be transplanted into a larger pot. As the banana grows, it needs to be transplanted into a larger pot.

Vegetative propagation of bananas.

A faster and more reliable way to get a plant with edible fruits is vegetative propagation. After the end of fruiting, the false banana stem dies off, and new buds begin to develop from the underground stem to replace it. From one grows a new "trunk". At this time, you can pull the rhizome out of the container and carefully separate a piece with an awakened kidney from it. This banana sprout needs to be transplanted into a prepared pot. As the plant grows, it needs to be transplanted into a larger container. It is established that by the time of fruiting, the volume of the pot should be at least 50 liters.

Banana is the fourth most popular crop in the world after wheat, rice and corn. The total number of banana fruits eaten per year by the world's population exceeds 100 billion pieces.
The islands of the Malay Archipelago are the birthplace of the banana. Since ancient times, the inhabitants of the archipelago have been growing this berry and eating it together with fish.
The first mention of the plant as an edible fruit appeared between the 17th and 11th centuries BC. e. in the Indian written source Rig Veda.
In the Ramayana collection (an Indian epic of the 14th century BC), one of the books describes the clothes of the royal family, which were woven from threads obtained from banana leaves.
The Goldfinger banana variety, grown in Australia, has fruits that resemble apples in structure and taste.
If we compare a banana and a potato, it turns out that the calorie content of a potato is one and a half times lower than that of a banana. And raw bananas are almost 5 times less caloric than dried ones. Among the products prepared from this fruit, banana juice is the lowest calorie.

What family does the banana belong to?

It belongs to the banana family .... But in general, it's just a grass, nothing more .... Only tropical... That is why the fruits are so large .... You are in middle lane can you imagine our herbs? You can also eat them, tops .... And very tasty, I dare to assure you ... It's just a little... :))))
to grassy
banana family .... the closest relatives of the shkurkins ....
BANANA (Musa), a genus of large tropical perennial herbs banana family (Musaceae), numbering approx. 300 species and taxa of a lower rank, a number of which are widely bred for edible berry-like fruits, reaching a length of 20 cm. When mature, the fruits are covered with a thick yellow peel with brown spots. Their flesh is creamy, easy to digest, rich in carbohydrates and contains relatively many vitamins A, B and C.
To the family "below the belt" =)))
scientific classification
Kingdom: Plants
Department: Angiosperms
Class: Monocots
Order: Ginger
Family: Banana
Genus: Banana
Bana # 769; n (lat. Musa) is a genus of perennial herbaceous plants of the Banana family, whose homeland is the tropics of Southeast Asia (SEA) and, in particular, the Malay Archipelago. Bananas are also called the fruits of these plants, eaten. At present, various varieties of the sterile triploid cultigen Musa #215; paradisiaca ( artificial look, not found in the wild), based on some of these plants, are widely cultivated in tropical countries and in many of them constitute a major share of exports. The banana is the fourth largest cultivated crop in the world, behind only rice, wheat and corn. 1 The genus unites over 40 species, distributed mainly in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. The northernmost species The Japanese Banana (Musa basjoo), originally from the Japanese Ryukyu Islands, is grown as an ornamental plant on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, in the Crimea and Georgia.
Description
Banana is a herbaceous plant with a powerful root system, a short stem that does not protrude above the ground and 620 leaves, the sheaths of which form a semblance of a trunk. Plant height varies from 2 to 9 m and even higher, which makes them one of the tallest (along with bamboos) grasses in the world; and it is not surprising that many mistake them for trees. Musa itinerans is considered the tallest plant of the banana genus, the height of its variety Musa itinerans var. gigantea can reach 12 m. Many lateral shoots form around the main stem, one of which subsequently replaces the previous one, thus reproduction occurs. Roots numerous, fibrous; in noble soil they go up to 4.9 m to the side and up to 1.5 m deep.
The leaves are large, soft, smooth, oblong or oval, with parallel venation; arranged in a spiral. Their vaginas are twisted into a dense, multi-layered, fleshy tube called a false stem. As the plant grows, young leaves appear inside the bundle, and the outer ones gradually die off and fall off. Weather permitting, this process continues at a rate of approximately one leaf per week. Cultivated banana leaves are up to 275 cm long and 60 cm wide and can be completely green, green with maroon spots, or green on the upper side and crimson below. In strong winds or heavy rain, the leaves are easily torn along the veins; this adaptation helps plants survive in tropical climates. When the banana is ready to bloom, a long peduncle develops at the growing point of the short stem, which passes through the false stem and emerges after the leaves.
Flowering occurs 810 months after active growth plants. The inflorescence is a brush resembling an elongated lush bud of a purple or green hue, on which large females are located at the base, then smaller bisexual ones, and at the end small male flowers. All flowers are tubular, consisting of 3 petals, 3 sepals, usually 6 stamens, one of which is underdeveloped and has no anther. Gynoecium syncarpous, consisting of 3 carpels forming a three-chambered ovary; the flowers are arranged in tiers (the so-called hands) and contain a large amount of nectar (up to 0.5 g per flower. Each layer is collected in a brush, consisting of 1220 flowers arranged radially, and covered with fleshy, waxy to the touch covering leaves. cultivated banana flowers white color, covering leaves are purple on the outside, and dark red on the inside. Once opened, the male flowers usually fall off very quickly, leaving the upper part of the inflorescence bare, with the exception of the apical unopened bud. In wild-growing species, flowering begins at night or early in the morning, in the first case, their pollination is facilitated by the bats, and in the second birds and small mammals.
Cross section of a wild fruit
Fruits develop

Sometimes people have questions that surprise them. For example, the question: is a banana a fruit or a berry? The question may also arise: is a banana a grass or a tree? In this article we will consider the essence of these issues.

Let's start with the definition of a fruit. Fruit is a concept, most likely, culinary and household than botanical. Fruit refers to all sweet large fruits of plants. Therefore, a banana in everyday life, of course, is a fruit. But a berry in the culinary and everyday concept is all small fruits of plants, so in everyday life a banana cannot be a berry in any way.

In botany under the word "fruit" the word "fruit" is used. A fruit is a plant reproductive organ that develops from a flower that contains seeds. The fruits are different. One type of fruit is a berry. Botanically, a berry is a plant fruit with a thin skin, juicy pulp and seeds. Store-bought bananas do not have seeds, but wild bananas have black seeds. It turns out that bananas meet these criteria. Bananas are berries.

Banana grass or tree?

As for the question of whether a banana is a tree or a grass, everything is simple here. Bananas are giant perennial herbs. Each shoot of a banana bears fruit only once, then it dies, and a new shoot grows in its place.

At least once in a lifetime, every adult, identifying a banana, asked himself the question: “Is a banana a fruit or a berry?” In ancient times, the fruit from the "black" continent of Africa was just an overseas delicacy. And no one dug into its origin. Today it is a familiar dessert on the table of any European. Moreover, it is an essential ingredient in many recipes for baking, salads, confectionery, and drinks. Therefore, the question of what a banana is is very relevant.

What does a banana grow on: on a tree or grass?

Banana is considered a fruit by those who define the latter as the fruit of the growth of trees. Since bananas grow on trees of the same name, they are considered a fruit. Because of this, there is also an opinion that a banana is a herb. Indeed, visually, the “banana tree” looks like a large herbaceous plant. Plus, human taste buds sometimes identify a banana as it tastes closer to grass (especially if the fruit is unripe). Of course, the option that a banana is a berry deserves attention. After all, choosing among the main types of fruits - a berry, a vegetable and a fruit, purely visually, a banana looks like a berry of a peculiar shape.

Need to figure it out. Fruits are juicy fruits that can be eaten. Fruit grows on shrubs and trees. Banana is not particularly juicy. He's more meaty. In addition, the plant on which bananas grow looks more like grass. That is a herbaceous plant. On such a plant, only berries can be fruits. But visually, for most people, berries are round or conical fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries. Banana is completely different in appearance. Therefore, the question constantly arises: “Is a banana a fruit or a berry?”.

Grass is considered a representative of the flora, which has a dense stem without bark and wood. And the fruits appear directly as branches from the stem. According to botany, herbaceous plants, although they bear fruit, die after the fruit ripens. With the "banana tree" this does not happen. The fruiting period reaches a century. Equally, the trunk consists of tightly pressed leaves, and not of wood fiber. The banana blossoms according to the season, and later the fruits appear on it and ripen. After the stem dies. But the next year, a new young stem grows from the root and everything repeats again.

banana cultivation

The culture of growing oblong yellow fruits dates back more than one century. Although it is impossible to grow a banana from the seeds that are inside, "banana trees" year after year grow from the roots into huge stems.

The main question about the ownership of a banana

Arguing about whether a banana belongs to fruits or berries is endless. But in any case, it is worth remembering the main points:

banana does not grow on shrubs and trees,
banana grows on herbaceous plants that have a dense stem of many leaves,
only berries grow on grass, fruits grow on trees,
fruits - juicy fruits with seeds and skin,
berries are fleshy fruits with many seeds and a leathery shell.

“Misconceptions about the banana as a fruit stem from a lack of knowledge. Most people believed that bananas grow on palm trees. And these palm trees are called "banana trees". But in reality, bananas grow on herbaceous plants, in fact on huge grass, which only visually resembles a tree. Science does not know "banana trees" as a plant species. Therefore, it is easy to resolve the dispute. Berries grow on grass, so a banana can only be a berry and nothing else.”