Bananas are probably native to tropical Asia, but are widely cultivated. They are related to the economically valuable Manila Hemp and to the Bird-of-Paradise flower. Banana plants have a palm-like aspect to their physical features and large leaves, the overlapping bases of which form the so-called false trunk. Only female flowers develop into the banana fruit (botanically considered a berry). Each plant can bear fruit only once. The seeds are sterile, so propagation occurs through shoots from the rhizomes. Bananas are an important food staple in tropic regions.
