"Musa sapientum" is the Latin name for an object that is well known to everyone and beloved by many. Translated, it sounds like "the fruit of a wise man." So promising, although not entirely true, is the name of the banana. And, actually, why is it wrong? It's simple: modern science says: a banana is not a fruit, it is a berry. And if for someone it came as a surprise, rest assured - it will not be the last for today.
Instructions
Step 1
The homeland of the banana is Southeast Asia. In Russia, as, indeed, in Europe in general, it appeared only at the very end of the 19th century. Bananas are now the fifth most consumed fruit in the country. They have long ceased to be exotic. Russian consumers appreciated their usefulness and taste. But, how many have thought about how a banana grows?
Step 2
First of all, what the banana grows on is not a palm tree or a tree at all. This is a herb, more precisely, a perennial herb. The diameter of its trunk is from 20 to 40 cm. The height is about 4 m, and some varieties grow up to 10 or even 12 m.
Step 3
The main thing that distinguishes a banana plant from a tree is its trunk. There is no wood in it, it consists of a bunch of banana leaves coming from the roots. They are rolled up in a dense tube and, as it were, nested one into the other. Each subsequent one grows higher than the previous one. Having got to the very top, he throws out a sheet plate of very impressive dimensions - about 60 cm wide and up to 2.5 m long. The previous leaf dries up, and its stem - just like many others before it - forms the trunk of the plant. Each new leaf grows from the center of the tuft formed by the leaf stems. Banana grows quickly - an average of 1 leaf per week.
Step 4
The plant begins to bloom 8-10 months after planting. The inflorescence is large - 12-15 cm wide, 25-30 cm long - purple in color appears from a deciduous rosette at the top of the trunk. The flowers in the inflorescence are arranged in tiers - at the base are female, then bisexual, and then male. The ovary develops only from female flowers. From above, they are all covered with dense covering leaves. Under each such leaf is a cluster of 12-20 flowers. Banana flowers are edible and contain a lot of nectar. They are pollinated by bats and other small mammals and birds. In total, up to 300 fruits can develop on one plant. After the harvest ripens, the ground part of the plant dies off.
Step 5
Banana is one of the most ancient crops grown by man. Its fruit is a berry. By definition, it is a juicy and soft fruit that has one or more seeds inside. Well, that's the way it is. Wild bananas contain many seeds. But the fruits of industrially grown plants do not have them at all and reproduce only vegetatively.
Step 6
Bananas are grown in almost all countries with tropical climates. In Malaysia, in addition to golden bananas, red and black bananas also grow. Locals use them as a side dish for fish dishes. Compared to yellow bananas, red bananas have a more delicate flesh and do not tolerate long-distance transportation.
Step 7
In southern Russia, bananas do not ripen. Only decorative banana varieties grow on the Russian Black Sea coast. The vast majority of bananas go to the Russian market in their southern countries. But the largest European supplier is Iceland. Here, just a few degrees south of the Arctic Circle, bananas are grown in greenhouses heated by thermal waters.
