Facts About the Banana Plant-Description, Types and Uses

Bananas 101

The banana plant is a flowering tropical plant belonging to the "Musaceae" family. Bananas are native to the tropical region of Southeast Asia, the Malay Archipelago, and Australia. Today, they are cultivated throughout the tropics.

Initially, from the region that includes the Malay Peninsula, the Philippines, and New Guinea, traders took bananas with them as they traveled to India, Africa, and Polynesia. These bananas barely resembled the fruit that we know today. They contained large, hard seeds and minimal pulp.

Cross-breeding between two varieties of wild bananas, the Musa acuminata and the Musa Baalbisinia, in Africa about 650 CE, resulted in the bananas becoming seedless.

The original bananas from Southeast Asia were small, about as long as an adult’s finger, and this led the Arabian traders to give them their name based on the Arabic word for finger, "banan."

Scientific Classification

• Division: Magnoliophyta
• Class: Liliopsida
• Order: Zingiberales
• Family: Musaceae
• Genus: Musa
• Species: Musa x paradisiaca

Description of the Banana Plant

Bananas are perennial tree-like herbs. It is an herb because it does not have a woody stem, and the fruit-bearing stem dies down after the growing season. They are also perennials because suckers (shoots arising from the lateral buds on the rhizome) take over and develop into fruit-bearing stems.

Root System

Bananas have two kinds of root systems: rhizomes (that act like roots) and fibrous roots. The rhizomes are underground stems that store energy and send up new shoots. The true fibrous roots then grow from these underground rhizomes. The rhizomes are typically near the soil's surface, while the fibrous roots extend five feet deep in established plants.

The rhizomes of a banana plant spread horizontally through the soil, sending up stalks each year.

Pseudostem

The banana tree trunk is a pseudostem formed by a group of foliar (leaf) sheaths placed in an overlapping pattern, constituting a false trunk. This pseudostem finishes in a whorl of elliptic or oblong leaves.

Even though the pseudostem is fleshy, mainly consisting of water, it is quite sturdy and can support a bunch that weighs over 50 kg or more. The pseudostem grows as the leaf emerges one after another and reaches maximum height when the inflorescence emerges at the top of the stem.

Leaves

Banana leaf ranges from 12–20 inches long and up to 6 feet wide. There are approximately 8–12 leaves per plant, each broad and flat with rounded edges. The top surface of the leaf facing the sun has a dark green, smooth, waxy, glossy surface. The underside of the leaf is a pale matte green. The leaf has parallel veins with a central prominent midrib that runs through the length of the leaf.

The apical meristem on the rhizome forms the leaf and emerges from the center of the pseudostem as a rolled cylinder and is tightly coiled, white, and tender. Depending on the climatic conditions, the leaf unfurling takes about seven days. The rolled leaf slips into the petiole canal of the preceding leaf, grows, and then unfolds.

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Banana Inflorescence

The banana inflorescence can be found at the end of the plant extended from the pseudo stem. Only one inflorescence develops from a banana plant that hangs from the peduncle (stalk).

The banana inflorescence, which is also known as a banana flower or banana heart, is a dark purple-red heart-shaped structure or flower bud that is located at the end of the stalk.

Banana flowers form deep within the plant's stem long before they are visible to the eyes. The flowers occur in groups called "hands," and the "hands" are arranged into larger clusters of flowers. Both the number of flowers in a "hand" and their pattern of development depend on the type of banana plant.

Flowers of the banana plant are arranged in spadix inflorescence that is borne on a peduncle. The flowers are protected by large, brightly colored, spirally arranged boat-shaped bracts called spathes. When the flowers open, the bracts roll back and finally fall off.

The flowers are polygamous (male, female, and bisexual flowers are found on the same plant). The male flower lies within the upper bracts, the female in the lower bracts, and the bisexual flowers in the middle.

Banana Fruit

Bananas are variable in size, color, and firmness. They are elongated and curved with soft flesh rich in starch covered with a rind that can be green, yellow, red, purple, or brown, depending on the ripeness.

The fruits grow in clusters hanging from the top of the plant. Almost all modern bananas are seedless. The average length of bananas is 7–9 inches long and 2–3 inches wide.

The inside of the banana is made of several fleshy cream-colored segments surrounded by thin white membranes. A central core holds the segments together. The flesh of the banana is soft and slightly sweet and has a sticky texture.

Is the banana a fruit or a berry?

The banana fruit is a berry. A berry is a fruit that develops from a single ovary and generally has a soft outer covering (exocarp), a fleshy middle (mesocarp), and an inner soft endocarp that contains one or more seeds. A banana meets all these requirements and, therefore, is classified as a berry.

Nutrition

One medium-sized banana has the following nutritional profile:

• Calories: 89
• Water: 75%
• Protein: 1.1 grams
• Carbohydrates: 22.8 grams
• Sugar: 12.2 grams
• Fiber: 2.6 grams
• Fat: 0.3 grams

The carbohydrate component of unripe bananas is starch. Green bananas contain up to 80% starch measured in dry weight.

During ripening, the starch is converted into sugars and becomes less than one percent when the banana is fully ripe.

Types of Bananas

There are many different varieties of bananas ranging in size, color, flavor, and texture.

Some of the most common and widely grown varieties include:

• Cavendish: This banana is known for its sweet flavor and yellow skin. It is the most widely grown banana cultivar.
• Plantain: Plantains are a type of banana that is larger and less sweet than the Cavendish bananas. They are used for cooking and are a staple food in many countries in Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia.
• Red Banana: This variety of banana is smaller and sweeter than the Cavendish and has a red or pink peel when ripe.
• Lady Finger Banana: These bananas are smaller and sweeter than the Cavendish.
• Blue Java Banana: This variety of bananas is known as the “ice cream” banana due to its creamy texture and sweet flavor. It has a blue-green peel when ripe.
• Musa Basjoo: This is a hardy banana variety native to Southeast Asia and can grow in cold climates. It has a green skin and a sweet, slightly tart flavor.

Health Benefits of Bananas

Bananas are rich in vitamin B6 and contain vitamin C, dietary fiber, potassium, and manganese.

The potassium in bananas helps to maintain heart health and helps to protect against the hardening of arteries and high blood pressure.

A medium banana gives 422 milligrams of potassium, which is 9% of what is needed every day. Potassium also helps to eliminate sodium from the body, and this helps to reduce blood pressure.

Bananas also have dietary fiber that helps digestion and probiotics that are good for gut health. Most of the fibers in bananas are soluble fibers that help to keep cholesterol and blood pressure in check and ease inflammation in the body.

Uses of the Banana Plant

• The sturdy trunk of the banana plant is used for construction purposes, such as building temporary shelters and fences, and as a source of wood pulp.
• The leaves and stalks of the banana plant are excellent sources of sustainable materials. The large, flexible leaves of the banana plant are used as natural food wrappers and to make eco-friendly plates, cups, and serving vessels. The leaves also serve as shade, protecting crops and gardens from excessive sunlight.
• The banana flowers are used in cooking to prepare salads and curries, adding a unique flavor and texture.
• The fruit can be eaten as such or incorporated into smoothies and desserts. The unripe banana is used in cooking to make curries.
• Food is wrapped with a banana leaf and then steamed to enhance the dish's flavor. The food is eaten, and the banana leaves are discarded.
• Banana peels are rich in nutrients like potassium, phosphorous, and calcium. They can be composted to create organic fertilizer, promoting healthy soil and plant growth.

References

• Anne Vézina , Jane Gibbs and David W. Turner. (2020). "Banana flowers." ProMusa.
• Atli Arnarson. (2023). "Bananas 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits." Heathline.
• Beng Fye Lau, et al. (2020). "Banana inflorescence: Its bio-prospects as an ingredient for functional foods." Trends in Food Science & Technology, 97, pp. 14-28.
• Joan Raymond. (2023). "The Health Benefits of Bananas." WebMD.
• TNAU. (n.d.). "Expert System for Banana."
• USDA. (n.d.). "Classification of Banana."

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2023 Nithya Venkat