Changes

{{Taxobox

{{Plantbox

| color = lightgreen

| name = Musa

| name = Banana

| common_names = Banana

| image = Luxor, Banana Island, Banana Tree, Egypt, Oct 2004.jpg

| image = Luxor, Banana Island, Banana Tree, Egypt, Oct 2004.jpg

| image_width = 250px

| image_width = 175px

| image_caption = Banana plant

| image_caption = Banana plant

| regnum = [[Plant]]ae

| regnum = Plantae

| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]

| divisio = Magnoliophyta

| classis = [[Liliopsida]]

| classis = Liliopsida

| ordo = [[Zingiberales]]

| ordo = Zingiberales

| familia = [[Musaceae]]

| familia = Musaceae

| genus = ''[[Musa (Musaceae)|Musa]]''

| genus = Musa

}}

}}

'''Banana''' is the [[common name]] used for [[herbaceous]], [[Cultigen|cultigenic]] plants in the [[genus]] ''[[Musa (Musaceae)|Musa]]'', and is also the name given the [[fruit]] of these plants.   

'''Banana''' is the [[common name]] used for [[herbaceous]], [[Cultigen|cultigenic]] plants in the [[genus]] ''[[Musa (Musaceae)|Musa]]'', and is also the name given the [[fruit]] of these plants.   

Although the wild species have fruits with numerous large, hard seeds, virtually all culinary bananas have [[seedless fruit]]s. Bananas are classified either as dessert bananas (meaning they are yellow and fully ripe when eaten) or as green cooking bananas. Almost all export bananas are of the dessert types; however, only about 10-15% of all production is for [[export]], with the [[United States|U.S.]] and [[EU]] being the dominant buyers.

Although the wild species have fruits with numerous large, hard seeds, virtually all culinary bananas have [[seedless fruit]]s. Bananas are classified either as dessert bananas (meaning they are yellow and fully ripe when eaten) or as green cooking bananas. Almost all export bananas are of the dessert types; however, only about 10-15% of all production is for [[export]], with the [[United States|U.S.]] and [[EU]] being the dominant buyers.

==Cultivation==

 

Location: Bananas require as much warmth as can be given them. Additional warmth can be given by planting next to a building. Planting next to cement or asphalt walks or driveways also helps. Wind protection is advisable, not for leaf protection as much as for protection of the plant after the banana stalk has appeared. During these last few months propping should be done to keep the plant from tipping or being blown over.

==Properties==

{{nutritionalvalue | name=Banana, raw | kJ=371| protein=1.09 g | fat=0.33 g | carbs=22.84 g | fiber=2.6 g | | sugars=12.23 g | iron_mg=0.26| calcium_mg=5 | magnesium_mg=27 | phosphorus_mg=22 | potassium_mg=358 | zinc_mg=0.15 | vitC_mg=8.7 | pantothenic_mg=0.334 | vitB6_mg=0.367 | folate_ug=20 | thiamin_mg=0.031 | riboflavin_mg=0.073 | niacin_mg=0.665 | right=1 | source_usda=1 }}

Bananas come in a variety of sizes and [[color]]s; most cultivars are yellow when ripe but some are red or purple-ish. The ripe fruit is easily peeled and eaten raw or cooked. Depending upon cultivar and ripeness, the flesh can be starchy to sweet, and firm to mushy. Unripe or "green" bananas and plantains are used in cooking and are the staple [[starch]] of many [[tropical]] populations.  

Most production for local sale is of green cooking bananas and plantains, as ripe dessert bananas are easily damaged while be

Soil: Bananas will grow in most soils, but to thrive, they should be planted in a rich, well-drained soil. The best possible location would be above an abandoned compost heap. They prefer an acid soil with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5. The banana is not tolerant of salty soils.

ing transported to market. Even when only transported within their country of origin, ripe bananas suffer a high rate of damage and loss.

The commercial dessert cultivars most commonly eaten in [[temperate]] countries (species ''Musa acuminata'' or the [[hybrid]] ''Musa × paradisiaca'', a [[cultigen]]) are imported in large quantities from the [[tropics]]. They are popular in part because being a non-seasonal crop they are available fresh year-round. In global commerce, by far the most important of these banana [[cultivar]]s is '[[Cavendish banana|Cavendish]]', which accounts for the vast bulk of bananas exported from the tropics. The Cavendish gained popularity in the [[1950]]s after the previously mass produced cultivar, [[Gros Michel]], was destroyed by [[Panama disease]], a fungus which attacks the roots of the banana plant.

Irrigation: The large leaves of bananas use a great deal of water. Regular deep watering is an absolute necessity during warm weather. Do not let plants dry out, but do not overwater. Standing water, especially in cool weather, will cause root rot. Plants grown in dry summer areas such as Southern California need periodic deep waterings to help leach the soil of salts. Spread a thick layer of mulch on the soil to help conserve moisture and protect the shallow roots. Container grown plants should be closely watched to see that they do not dry out. An occasional deep watering to leach the soil is also helpful.

The most important properties making 'Cavendish' the main export banana are related to transport and shelf life rather than taste; major commercial cultivars rarely have a superior flavour compared to the less widespread cultivars. Export bananas are picked green, and then usually ripened in ripening rooms when they arrive in their country of destination. These are special rooms made air-tight and filled with [[ethylene]] gas to induce ripening. Bananas can be ordered by the retailer "ungassed", however, and may show up at the supermarket still fully green. While these bananas will ripen more slowly, the flavour will be notably richer, and the banana peel can be allowed to reach a yellow/brown speckled phase, and yet retain a firm flesh inside. Thus, shelf life is somewhat extended. The flavour and texture of bananas are affected by the temperature at which they ripen. Bananas are refrigerated to between 13.5 and 15 °C (57 and 59 °F) during transportation. At lower temperatures, the ripening of bananas permanently stalls, and the bananas will eventually turn grey.

Fertilization: Their rapid growth rate make bananas heavy feeders. During warm weather, apply a balanced fertilizer once a month--a 8:10:8 NPK fertilizer appears to be adequate. A mature plant may require as much as 1-1/2 to 2 pounds of the above fertilizer each month. Young plants need a quarter to a third as much. Spread the fertilizer evenly around the plant in a circle extending 4 - 8 feet from the trunk. Do not allow the fertilizer to come in contact with the trunk. Feed container container plants on the same monthly schedule using about half the rate for outside plants.

[[Image:Banane Rose.JPG|thumb|250px|right|Certain banana cultivars turn red or purplish instead of yellow as they ripen.]]

Frost Protection: Bananas flourish best under uniformly warm conditions but can survive 28° F for short periods. If the temperature does not fall below 22° F and the cold period is short, the underground rhizome will usually survive. To keep the plants that are above ground producing, protection against low temperatures is very important. Wrap trunk or cover with blanket if the plants are small and low temperatures are predicted.

It should be noted that ''Musa × paradisiaca'' is also the generic name for the common [[plantain]], a coarser and starchier variant not to be confused with ''Musa acuminata'' or the Cavendish variety.  Plantains have all but replaced the Cavendish in markets dominated by supply-side logistics.

In addition to the fruit, the [[flower]] of the banana plant (also known as ''banana blossom'' or ''banana heart'') is used in [[Southeast Asia]]n, [[Bengali cuisine|Bengali]] and [[Kerala]] (India) cuisine, either served raw with dips or cooked in soups and curries. The tender core of the banana plant's trunk is also used, notably in the [[Myanmar|Burmese]] dish [[mohinga]], Bengali and Kerala cooking. [[Pisang goreng|Bananas fried with batter]] is a popular dessert in [[Malaysia]], [[Singapore]] and [[Indonesia]]. Banana fritters can be served with ice-cream as well. Bananas are also eaten deep fried, baked in their skin in a split bamboo, or steamed in [[glutinous rice]] wrapped in a banana leaf in [[Myanmar]] where bunches of green bananas surrounding a green coconut in a tray is an important part of traditional offerings to the [[Buddha]] and the [[Nat (spirit)]]s. The juice extract prepared from the tender core is used to treat kidney stones.  

Pruning Only one primary stem of each rhizome should be allowed to fruit. All excess shoots should be removed as soon as they are noticed. This helps channel all of of the plant's energy into fruit production. Once the main stalk is 6 - 8 months old, permit one sucker to develop as a replacement stalk for the following season. When the fruit is harvested, cut the fruiting stalk back to 30 inches above the ground. Remove the stub several weeks later. The stalk can be cut into small pieces and used as mulch.  

[[Image:IMG banana-offering.JPG|thumb|left|Traditional offerings of bananas and coconut at a Nat spirit shrine in Myanmar]]

Fruit Harvest: Stalks of bananas are usually formed in the late summer and then winter over. In March they begin "plumping up" and may ripen in April. Occasionally, a stalk will form in early summer and ripen before cold weather appears. The fruit can be harvested by cutting the stalk when the bananas are plump but green. For tree-ripened fruit, cut one hand at a time as it ripens. If latter is done, check stalk daily as rodents can eat the insides of every banana, from above, and the stalk will look untouched. Once harvested the stalk should be hung in a cool, shady place. Since ethylene helps initiate and stimulate ripening, and mature fruit gives off this gas in small amounts, ripening can be hastened by covering the bunch with a plastic bag. Plantains are starchy types that are cooked before eating.  

The [[Leaf|leaves]] of the banana are large, flexible, and waterproof; they are used in many ways, including as [[umbrella]]s and to wrap food for cooking. [[China|Chinese]] [[zongzi]] (bamboo leaves are more commonly used where available) and [[Central America]]n [[tamale]]s are sometimes [[steaming|steamed]] in banana leaves, and the [[Hawaii]]an [[kalua|imu]] is often lined with them. [[Puerto Rico|Puerto Rican]] "pasteles" are boiled wrapped and tied inside the leaf.

[[Banana chips]] are a snack produced from dehydrated or fried banana or, preferably, plantain slices, which have a dark brown colour and an intense banana taste. Bananas hav

e also been used in the making of [[jam]]. Unlike other fruits, it is difficult to extract juice from bananas because when compressed a banana simply turns to pulp.  

Propagation of bananas is done with rhizomes called suckers or pups. Very small pups are called buttons. Large suckers are the preferred planting material. These are removed from vigorous clumps with a spade when at least three feet tall, during warm months. Pups should not be taken until a clump has at least three to four large plants to anchor it. When the pup is taken the cut must be into the mother plant enough to obtain some roots. Plant close to the surface. Large leaves are cut off of the pup leaving only the youngest leaves or no leaves at all. Some nurseries supply banana plants as container grown suckers.  

Seeded bananas (''Musa balbisiana''), considered to be one of the forerunners of the common domesticated banana, are sold in markets in Indonesia.

In some countries, bananas are commercially propagated by means of tissue culture. This method is preferred since it ensures disease-free planting material. When using vegetative parts such as suckers for propagation, there is a risk of transmitting diseases (especially the devastating Panama disease).

It is reported that in [[Orissa]], [[India]], juice is extracted from the [[corm]] and used as a [[home remedy]] for the treatment of [[jaundice]]. In other places [[honey]] is mixed with mashed banana fruit and used for the same purpose.

Bananas have few troublesome pests or diseases outside the tropics. Root rot from cold wet soil is by far the biggest killer of banana plants in our latitudes. California is extremely fortunate in not having nematodes that are injurious to the banana. Gophers topple them, and snails and earwigs will crawl up to where they can get continuous water, but these pests do not bother the plant.

{{Main|List of banana and plantain diseases}}

[[Image:Banana sorting.jpg|thumb|right|250 px|Women in Belize sorting bananas and cutting them from bunches.]]

While in no danger of outright extinction, the most common edible banana cultivar 'Cavendish' (extremely popular in Europe and the Americas) could become unviable for large-scale cultivation in the next 10-20 years. Its predecessor 'Gros Michel', discovered in the 1820s, has already suffered this fate. Like almost all bananas, it lacks genetic diversity, which makes it vulnerable to diseases, which threaten both commercial cultivation and the small-scale subsistence farming.<ref>{{cite news | title =A future with no bananas? | language = English | publisher = [[New Scientist]] | date = 13 May, 2006 | url =http://www.newscientist.com/channel/earth/dn9152-a-future-with-no-bananas.html | accessdate = 09-12-2006  }}</ref><!----><ref>{{cite news | last = Montpellier | first = Emile Frison | title =Resc

While in no danger of outright extinction, the most common edible banana cultivar 'Cavendish' (extremely popular in Europe and the Americas) could become unviable for large-scale cultivation in the next 10-20 years. Its predecessor 'Gros Michel', discovered in the 1820s, has already suffered this fate. Like almost all bananas, it lacks genetic diversity, which makes it vulnerable to diseases, which threaten both commercial cultivation and the small-scale subsistence farming.<ref>{{cite news | title =A future with no bananas? | language = English | publisher = [[New Scientist]] | date = 13 May, 2006 | url =http://www.newscientist.com/channel/earth/dn9152-a-future-with-no-bananas.html | accessdate = 09-12-2006  }}</ref><!----><ref>{{cite news | last = Montpellier | first = Emile Frison | title =Resc

uing the banana | language = English | publisher = [[New Scientist]] | date = 8 February 2003 | url = http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg17723813.300-rescuing-the-banana.html | accessdate = 09-12-2006}}</ref>  Major diseases include:

uing the banana | language = English | publisher = [[New Scientist]] | date = 8 February 2003 | url = http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg17723813.300-rescuing-the-banana.html | accessdate = 09-12-2006}}</ref>  Major diseases include:

* [[Black Sigatoka]] - a fungal leaf spot disease first observed in [[Fiji]] in [[1963]] or [[1964]]. Black Sigatoka (also known as Black Leaf Streak) has spread to banana plantations throughout the tropics due to infected banana leaves being used as packing material. It affects all of the main cultivars of bananas and [[plantains]], impeding [[photosynthesis]] by turning parts of their leaves black, and eventually killing the entire leaf. Being starved for energy, fruit production falls by 50% or more, and the bananas that do grow suffer premature [[ripening]], making them unsuitable for [[export]]. The fungus has shown ever increasing resistance to fungicidal treatment, with the current expense for treating 1 hectare exceeding US$1000 per year. In addition to the financial expense there is the question of how long such intensive spraying can be justified environmentally. Several resistant cultivars of banana have been developed, but none has yet received wide scale commercial acceptance due to taste and texture issues.

* [[Black Sigatoka]] - a fungal leaf spot disease first observed in [[Fiji]] in [[1963]] or [[1964]]. Black Sigatoka (also known as Black Leaf Streak) has spread to banana plantations throughout the tropics due to infected banana leaves being used as packing material. It affects all of the main cultivars of bananas and [[plantains]], impeding [[photosynthesis]] by turning parts of their leaves black, and eventually killing the entire leaf. Being starved for energy, fruit production falls by 50% or more, and the bananas that do grow suffer premature [[ripening]], making them unsuitable for [[export]]. The fungus has shown ever increasing resistance to fungicidal treatment, with the current expense for treating 1 hectare exceeding US$1000 per year. In addition to the financial expense there is the question of how long such intensive spraying can be justified environmentally. Several resistant cultivars of banana have been developed, but none has yet received wide scale commercial acceptance due to taste and texture issues.

* Banana Bunchy Top Virus (BBTV) - this [[virus]] is spread from plant to plant by [[aphids]]. It causes stunting of the leaves resulting in a "bunched" appearance. Generally, a banana plant infected with the virus will not set fruit, although mild strains exist in many areas which do allow for some fruit production. These mild strains are often mistaken for malnourishment, or a disease other than BBTV. There is no cure for BBTV, however its effect can be minimised by planting only tissue cultured plants (In-vitro propagation), controlling the aphids, and immediately removing and destroying any plant from the field that shows signs of the disease.

* Banana Bunchy Top Virus (BBTV) - this [[virus]] is spread from plant to plant by [[aphids]]. It causes stunting of the leaves resulting in a "bunched" appearance. Generally, a banana plant infected with the virus will not set fruit, although mild strains exist in many areas which do allow for some fruit production. These mild strains are often mistaken for malnourishment, or a disease other than BBTV. There is no cure for BBTV, however its effect can be minimised by planting only tissue cultured plants (In-vitro propagation), controlling the aphids, and immediately removing and destroying any plant from the field that shows signs of the disease.

Even though it is no longer viable for large scale cultivation, 'Gros Michel' is not extinct and is still grown in areas where Panama Disease is not found. Likewise, 'Cavendish' is in no danger of extinction, but it may leave the shelves of the supermarkets for good if diseases make it impossible to supply the global market. It is unclear if any existing cultivar can replace 'Cavendish' on a scale needed to fill current dem

Even though it is no longer viable for large scale cultivation, 'Gros Michel' is not extinct and is still grown in areas where Panama Disease is not found. Likewise, 'Cavendish' is in no danger of extinction, but it may leave the shelves of the supermarkets for good if diseases make it impossible to supply the global market. It is unclear if any existing cultivar can replace 'Cavendish' on a scale needed to fill current demand, so various hybridisation and genetic engineering programs are working on creating a disease-resistant, mass-market banana.

and, so various hybridisation and genetic engineering programs are working on creating a disease-resistant, mass-market banana.

Australia is relatively free of plant diseases and therefore prohibits imports. When [[Cyclone Larry]] wiped out Australia's domestic banana crop in 2006, bananas became relatively expensive, due to low supply domestically, and laws prohibiting banana imports.

| description = Leaves to 5 feet. Large heavy flower clusters with reddish to dark purple bracts, yellow flowers.  In very warm garden may produce 6 inch long sweet edible bananas.  'Enana Gigante' is a similar variety, but young leaves have red markings. Varieties that are fruiting are placed under M. paradisiaca by some authorities.

| description = Many varieties, both edible and non. M. p. seminifera is the most common type, forming large clump, reaching 20 feet and with leaves up to 9 feet.  Flower bract droops, is purple and powdery.  May produce fruit which usually has seeds and is usually inedible.  There are many varieties available.

===Cultivars of M. acuminata and M. paradisiaca===

 

*'''Apple, Silk, or Manzana''' - Dessert type, pleasant sub-acid apple flavor when fully ripe. Fruit: 4 to 6 inches. Grows to 10 to 12 feet. The fruit is not ripe until some brownish specs appear on the skin. From planting until harvest is approximately 15 months.  

==Effects of banana diseases in East Africa==

*'''Cavendish''' - Resistant to Panama Wilt disease. Clones of this variety are distinguished by the size of the pseudostem. The largest is Lacatan (12 to 18 feet) followed by Robusta and Giant Cavendish (10 to 16 feet). The smallest is the Dwarf Cavendish (4 to 7 feet).  

[[Image:FHIA-17.jpg|thumb|right|Tanzanian farmers with 92&nbsp;kg (200 lb) bunch of FHIA-17 bananas.]]

*'''Cuban Red''' - Very tall (up to 25 feet), very tropical. Skin dark red, with generally reddish pseudostem. Fruit is especially aromatic with cream-orange pulp. 20 months from planting until harvest.  

Most bananas grown worldwide are used for local consumption. In the tropics, bananas, especially cooking bananas, represent a major source of food, as well as a major source of income for smallholder farmers. It is in the East African highlands that bananas reach their greatest importance as a staple food crop. In countries such as [[Uganda]], [[Burundi]] and [[Rwanda]] per capita consumption has been estimated at 450&nbsp;kg per year, the highest in the world. Ugandans use the same word "matooke" to describe both banana and food.

*'''Gros Michel''' - Commercially, the most important and considered by many to be the most flavorful. Because of its susceptibility to Panama Wilt disease it is being replaced with resistant varieties. Although there is no Panama Wilt in California, it does poorly here as the plant seems to need more heat and it tends to grow more slowly than other varieties

 

*'''Ice Cream or Blue Java''' - Medium-tall (15 to 20 feet), bluish cast to the unripe fruit. Fruit: 7 to 9 inches, quite aromatic and is said to melt in the mouth like ice cream. Bunches are small with seven to nine hands. 18 to 24 months from planting until harvest.  

In the past, the banana was a highly sustainable crop with a long plantation life and stable yields year round. However with the arrival of the [[Black Sigatoka]] fungus, banana production in eastern Africa has fallen by over 40%. For example during the 1970s, Uganda produced 15 to 20 tonnes of bananas per hectare. Today production has fallen to only 6 tonnes per hectare.

*'''Lady Finger''' - Tall (20 to 25 feet), excellent-quality fruit, tolerant of cool conditions. 15 to 18 months from planting to harvest.  

 

*'''Orinoco''' - Commonly grown in California for years as a landscape plant. Grows to 16 feet, more cold hardy than any other. 15 to 18 months from planting to harvest. Flavor is good, texture is less than perfect, but when properly grown and cultivated it can produce enormous stalks of fruit. Excellent in banana bread. Sometimes called horse, hog or burro banana, it can be purchased at most nurseries.  

The situation has started to improve as new disease resistant cultivars have been developed such as the [[FHIA-17]] (known in Uganda as the Kabana 3). These new cultivars taste different from the traditionally grown banana which has slowed their acceptance by local farmers. However, by adding [[mulch]] and animal [[manure]] to the soil around the base of the banana plant, these new cultivars have substantially increased yields in the areas where they have been tried.

*'''Popoulu''' - A Hawaiian variety with short, salmon-pink flesh, plump fruit that may be cooked or eaten fresh. A slender plant preferring a protected area with high humidity and filtered light. Grows to about 14 feet tall.  

 

*'''Valery''' - A Cavendish clone resembling the Robusta. Some believe them to be the same. The Dwarf Cavendish is the most widely planted as it is better adapted to a cool climate and is less likely to be blown over.  

The [[Rockefeller Foundation]] has started trials for [[genetically modified]] banana plants that are resistant to both Black Sigatoka and banana weevils. It is developing cultivars specifically for smallholder or subsistence farmers.

*'''Williams''' - The same as Giant Cavendish. Originated from a mutation of Dwarf Cavendish found in Queensland, Australia. A commercial banana grown in many countries that does well in California. 10 to 16 feet in height and has a distinctive long, very large bud. The Del Monte is a Williams.  

 

[[Image:M. acuminata x balbisiana.JPG|right|thumb|''M. acuminata x balbisiana'' flower, partially opened.]]

The banana plant has long been a source of fibre for high quality textiles. In Japan, the cultivation of banana for clothing and household use dates back to at least the 13th century. In the Japanese system, leaves and shoots are cut from the plant periodically to ensure softness. The harvested shoots must first be boiled in [[lye]] to prepare the fibres for the making of the yarn. These banana shoots produce fibres of varying degrees of softness, yielding yarns and textiles with differing qualities for specific uses. For example, the outermost fibres of the shoots are the coarsest, and are suitable for tablecloths, whereas the softest innermost fibres are desirable for [[kimono]] and [[kamishimo]]. This traditional Japanese banana cloth making process requires many steps, all performed by hand.<ref>{{cite web |title =Traditional Crafts of Japan - Kijoka Banana Fiber Cloth |publisher = Association for the Promotion of Traditional Craft Industries |date = |url = http://www.kougei.or.jp/english/crafts/0130/f0130.html |accessdate = 11-12-2006}}</ref>

 

In another system employed in Nepal, the trunk of the banana plant is harvested instead, small pieces of which are subjected to a softening process, mechanical extraction of the fibres, bleaching, and drying. After that, the fibres are sent to the [[Kathmandu valley]] for the making of high end rugs with a textural quality similar to silk. These banana fibre rugs are woven by the traditional Nepalese hand-knotted methods, and are sold [[rugmark|RugMark certified]].  

 

Banana fibre is also used in the production of [[banana paper]].

 

The depiction of a person slipping on a banana peel has been a staple of [[physical comedy]] for generations. A [[1906]] comedy record produced by [[Edison Record

 

:I don't think much of a man what throws a bananer peelin' on the sidewalk, and I don't think much of a bananer what throws a man on the sidewalk, neether. ... my foot hit that bananer peelin' and I went up in the air, and cum down ker-plunk, and fer about a minnit I seen all the stars what stronomy tells about, and some that haint been discovered yit. Wall jist as I wuz pickin' myself up a little boy cum runnin' cross the street and he sed "Oh mister, won't you please do that agin, my mother didn't see you do it.

 

*Because of the stereotypical image of [[monkey]]s and [[ape]]s eating bananas, they have been used for [[racism|racist]] insults, such as throwing bananas at sports players of [[Africa]]n descent.<ref>{{cite news | last = Green | first = Alan | title = Society has to change - Barnes | language = English | publisher = BBC SPORT | date = 4 November, 2002 | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tv_and_radio/world_football/2399629.stm | accessdate = 09-12-2006}}</ref>

 

*In the Asian community, a banana is a slang term which is used to describe an Asian person who acts like a [[White people|white person]], as is the term [[Twinkie (slur)|twinkie]].

 

*The [[The Velvet Underground & Nico|debut album]] of [[The Velvet Underground]] features a banana on the cover.

 

*[[Deep Purple]] released an album in 2003 entitled ''[[Bananas (album)|Bananas]]''.

 

Bananas are also humorously used as a [[phallic symbol]] due to similarities in size and shape. This is typified by the artwork of the [[The Velvet Underground and Nico|debut album]] of [[The Velvet Underground]], which features a banana on the front cover, yet on the original LP version, the design allowed the listener to 'peel' this banana to find a pink, phallic structure on the inside.

==See also==

==See also==

*[[Ensete|Enset]] (''false banana'')

*[[Ensete|Enset]] (''false banana'')

*[[Plantain]]

*[[Plantain]]

==References==

==References==

*FAO. [http://www.fao.org/es/esc/en/20953/20987/highlight_28367en.html Bananas Commodity notes: Final results of the 2003 season], 2004

*{{wplink}}

*Denham, T., Haberle, S. G., Lentfer, C., Fullagar, R., Field, J., Porch, N., Therin, M., Winsborough B., and Golson, J. Multi-disciplinary Evidence for the Origins of Agriculture from 6950-6440 Cal BP at Kuk Swamp in the Highlands of New Guinea. ''Science'', June 2003 issue.

* [http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/banana.html Banana Fruit Facts - California Rare Fruit Growers].

* Skidmore, T., Smith, P. - ''Modern Latin America'' (5th edition), (2001) New York: Oxford University Press)

''Science'', June 2003 issue.

* {{cite journal | author=Editors | title=Banana fiber rugs | journal=[[Dwell (magazine)|Dwell]] | year=2006 | volume=6 | issue=7 | pages= 44}} Brief mention of banana fibre rugs

* Lessard, William O. Complete Book of Bananas. William O. Lessard, Publisher. 1992

*{{cite journal | author=Leibling, Robert W. and Pepperdine, Donna | title=Natural remedies of Arabia | journal=[[Saudi Aramco World]] | year=2006 | volume=57 | issue=5 | pages= 14}} Banana etymology, banana flour

* Morton, Julia F. Fruits of Warm Climates. Creative Resources Systems, Inc. 1987. pp. 29-46

* Ortho Books. All About Citrus and Subtropical Fruits. Chevron Chemical Co. 1985. pp. 20-23

== External links ==

== External links ==

* [http://www.inibap.org/ International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain (INIBAP)]

* [http://www.inibap.org/ International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain (INIBAP)]

* [http://www.bananas.org/ International Banana Society (IBS)]

* [http://www.bananas.org/ International Banana Society (IBS)]

* [http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/banana.html Banana from ''Fruits of Warm Climates'' by Julia Morton]

* [http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/banana.html Banana from ''Fruits of Warm Climates'' by Julia Morton]

* [http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/banana.html Banana Fruit Facts - California Rare Fruit Growers].

* [http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/banana.html Banana Fruit Facts - California Rare Fruit Growers].