A banana is an edible fruit, botanically a berry, produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants
in the genus Musa. (In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called plantains.)
The fruit is variable in size, color and firmness, but is usually elongated and curved,
with soft flesh rich in starch covered with a rind which may be green, yellow, red, purple, or brown when ripe.
The fruits grow in clusters hanging from the top of the plant. Almost all modern edible parthenocarpic (seedless)
bananas come from two wild species – Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana. The scientific names of most cultivated
bananas are Musa acuminata, Musa balbisiana, and Musa × paradisiaca for the hybrid Musa acuminata × M. balbisiana,
depending on their genomic constitution. The old scientific name Musa sapientum is no longer used.
The banana plant is a large perennial herb with leaf sheaths that form trunk-like pseudostems.
The plant has 8 - 12 leaves that are up to 9 ft long and 2 ft wide. Root development may
be extensive in loose soil in some cases up to 30 ft laterally. Other plant descriptions vary,
it depends on the variety.Flower development is initiated from the true stem underground (corm) 9 - 12 months after planting.
The inflorescence (flower stalk) grows through the center of the pseudostem. Flowers develop in clusters and spiral around the main axis. In most cultivars,
the female flowers are followed by a few "hands" of neuter flowers that have aborted ovaries and stamens. The neuter flowers are followed at the terminal ends by male flowers enclosed in bracts. The male flowers have functional stamens but aborted ovaries.
Fruits mature in about 60 - 90 days after flowers first appear. Each bunch of fruits consists of variable numbers of "hands" along a central stem. Each "hand" consists of two transverse rows of fruits ("fingers").
The fruit quality is determined by size (finger length and thickness), evenness of ripening, freedom from blemishes and defects, and the arrangement of the clusters. Quality standards may differ in various markets.
Nutrients and Calories in a Banana Chiquita bananas are a smart, convenient addition to a healthy lifestyle.
With 110 nutrient-dense calories per serving (126 grams, or one medium-sized banana) it is deliciously easy to add Chiquita bananas to your family's routine.
Nutrients in a banana, per serving*:
Vitamin B6 – .5 mg
Manganese – .3 mg
Vitamin C – 9 mg
Potassium – 450 mg
Dietary Fiber – 3g
Protein – 1 g
Magnesium – 34 mg
Folate – 25.0 mcg
Riboflavin – .1 mg
Niacin – .8 mg
Vitamin A – 81 IU
Iron – .3 mg
Safe and pure enough for baby's first solid food, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics Bananas are a terrific, heart-healthy food when included in a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol. While many factors affect heart disease, diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of this disease. Naturally fat-, cholesterol- and sodium-free A good source of potassium, dietary fiber, manganese and vitamins B6 & C
Andhra Pradesh & Telangana
Tamil Nadu
Karanataka
Kerala
Gujarat
Maharashtra
The edible bananas are restricted to tropical or neartropical regions, roughly the area between latitudes 30°N and 30°S. Within this band, there are varied climates with different lengths of dry season and different degrees and patterns of precipitation. A suitable banana climate is a mean temperature of 80°F (26.67°C) and mean rainfall of 4 in (10 cm) per month. There should not be more than 3 months of dry season.
