In brief, the banana is a large herbaceous plant cultivated in tropical and semi-tropical regions in great abundance.It is one of the most productive plants known.
People often talk of the fruit growing on banana trees as the plant resembles a tree in some ways.In actual fact, the main or upright stem is called a pseudostem, which literally means fake stem.
The fruit of the banana is nutritious and the staple food of the natives in man of the Pacific Islands as well as other countries.
The banana bears its fruit in compact, hanging clusters.The clusters are made up of up approximately 3-20 tiers.Each tier of fruit is called a hand and has up to 20 fruit. An individual fruit is known as a banana or finger.
The total of the hanging clusters is referred to as a bunch.They are known commercially as a stem.Their weight ranges from 30-50kg.An average fruit is 125gm.
There are two major kinds of banana:Fruit bananas, which are eaten raw or cooked and plantain bananas, which are cooked as vegetables.