We all have this one friend, the smart aleck who knows everything better. Walking through the thick jungle of Thailand this know-all saw bananas growing and said, ‘Look there are berries growing.’ I couldn't spot a single berry but bananas and asked him if he meant the bananas growing on the tree. All of a sudden he started to sound like my old teacher giving me lessons. ‘No! Bananas don't grow on trees but herbs and therefore are berries.’ he explained.
Well Steemians what is your guess? Today we will know more. Let's have a closer look!
Trees or herbs, fruits or berries?
I do not know what you are thinking but my mind was totally blown! In fact bananas don't grow on trees and technically are considered as berries. Right, berries! (Tomorrow I will tell you that strawberries are nuts!)
Let us have a look at the banana plant and understand its structure. In the picture below you will recognize that the banana plant has no real trunk but is made of packed leaves. Actually the whole tree is made up of leaves. Having no wooden tissue doesn't mean the stem is soft, in fact it is sturdy.
Fig.1 Musa troglodytarum Source
The correct term to use to describe banana plants is perennial herb. The banana family is known as Musaceae and the banana herb called Musa. Having sturdy stems allow the banana plants to grow up to 25 ft! That's pretty high for a herb, as a matter of fact, it's the largest herb on earth. Like I said the banana itself is not a fruit but rather a berry. It contains seeds you can see in the figure below.
Fig.2 Wild banana berry with seeds Source
Haven't blown your mind yet? Then take a look at the title picture and guess in what direction the bananas grow. You will notice that they grow upwards against the gravity! The phenomenon is known as geotropism, in this case negative geotropism. Roots grow in the direction of gravitation while stems grow against the gravitation.
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Tim