Banana - Biology Of Bananas, Bananas And People
species plantains family world
Bananas, plantains, and their relatives are various species of plants in the family Musaceae. There are about 40 species in this family, divided among only two genera. The most diverse genus is Musa, containing 35 species of bananas and plantains, followed by Ensete, the Abyssinian bananas. The natural range of bananas and plantains is the tropics and subtropics of the Old World, but agricultural and horticultural species and varieties are now cultivated in suitable climates all over the world.
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Plants in the banana family are superficially tree-like in appearance. However, they are actually tall, erect, perennial herbs, because after they flower and set fruit, they die
Young green bananas growing in clusters. Photography by Nigel Cattlin. The National Audubon Society Collection/Photo Researchers, Inc. Reproduced by permission.
back to the ground surface. Their perennating struc…
Various species in the banana family are cultivated as agricultural crops, with a world production of about 66 million tons (60 million tonnes). The best-known species is the banana (Musa paradisiaca; sometimes known as M. sapientum). The cultivated banana is a sterile triploid, and does not produce viable seeds. This banana is believed to be derived from crosses of Musa acuminata and M. balbisian…
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