Did you know...
Banana trees are not trees?
They are in fact, a plant, not a tree. Why in the world would this come up today, in a forum mainly about tech? Well, it just so happened, during one of the many enjoyable presentations Soggy puts on with her drawing abilities and CryptoMonkey Discord enjoyment, the world banana tree entomology came up. Granted, at least 25 percent of the presentation fixated on the fact that Soggy couldn't actually say the word "colloquially," despite a really hard try (it also didn't help that the forum had a giggle fest during lunch on the matter either listening to her, damn we should have recorded that).
In any case, yes, a banana tree is not an actual "tree."
Technically, a banana tree is what is known in the science and plant world as a herbaceous plant. No, that's not a pimple. That would be something with your sebaceous glands. Instead, a herbaceous plant involves has a tree-like presentation, grows in a fairly sizable trunk, and blooms with lots of branches on the top, just like a tree. However, the plant is in the genus Musa, which is part of the plant Musaceae family. And it also produces a lot of shade with a big leafy canopy, ergo the jungle look.
The banana plant itself is structure made up of five different segments:
Pseudostem: This would be the trunk part of the plant, what we most identify the banana plan with a tree or the appearance of one. However, if you actually get up close, it has no bark, no tree rings or similar. Instead, it's a very sold stem section and the plant grows out from the center.
Yep, those big green outgrowths of the top of the plan are the leaves. This is the energy-producer factory for the plant. Those leaves provides the contact with the sun and produce the sugar elements needed to feed and grow the plant even more via photosynthesis.
Inflorescence: Most plants flower, banana trees do too. The inflorescence is that bloom section of the plant which also provides the mechanism for fertilization, allowing for the production of fruit which we then later harvest as bananas.
The fruit, or banana itself, is actually part of a cluster produced by the plant.
Root System: Underground, the root system draws nutrients and water into the plant for survival.
Most banana plants grow in very tropical, warm and wet climates. However, they are now artificially grown in greenhouses and have become a major food staple globally. They also represent a major part of many countries' economies in agriculture.
To read more about bananas, go here:
- Banana Prices and Sustainability
- Banana Facts & Figures
- All About Bananas
Oh, and yes, bananas can be deconstructed down to actual, real concentrated potassium. Someone took the time to do just that on a YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmaZdEq-Xzs
