Banana stand
Title | Info |
---|---|
Common name | Banana |
Scientific name | Musa |
Taxonomic group | Musaceae |
Level | Family |
Source | Dan L. Perlman |
Economic botany | Food plants |
Food plants | Fruits |
Selection and adaptations | Selection; Variation |
Selection | Artificial Selection |
Lessons | Biodiversity |
Location | Near Lake Manyara,Tanzania,Africa |
Banana varieties, Tanzania. This image shows several different varieties of bananas at a roadside stand in northern Tanzania. Bananas appear to have arisen in Southeast Asia or New Guinea. The banana plant produces pistillate ("female") flowers and sterile staminate ("male") flowers. Even though the female flowers are not pollinated, they produce fruit. The plants reproduce by suckers since no viable seeds are produced. The plant produces only a single large "stem" of bananas during its lifetime. After this, the plant is cut down so that new suckers may arise from the roots and underground stem.