how many types of banana plants are there

What are those small bananas called?

“Small banana varieties, also called baby bananas, are recognized by their miniature size; the fruit is only about 4 to 5 inches in length with thin, yellow skin. They have and intensely sweet flavor when they are allowed to reach optimal ripeness. These small varieties include “Lady Finger” bananas, sometimes called “Orito.”

How many varieties of bananas are there?

There are more than 1000 species Bananas, which are divided into 50 groups of varieties. These are seedless or pitted and have fruits of various sizes, shapes and colors. For example, some plantains can produce fruits up to 50 cm long.

What are some facts about bananas?

Bananas are low in calories and have no fat, no sodium, and no cholesterol. They contain vitamin C, potassium, fiber, and vitamin B6. Research shows that eating bananas may lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes, as well as decrease the risk of getting some cancers.

What is the smallest banana?

• The poet Bashō is named after the Japanese word for a banana plant. ...
• The cover artwork for the debut album of The Velvet Underground features a banana made by Andy Warhol. ...
• Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan created a concept art piece titled Comedian involving taping a banana to a wall using silver duct tape. ...

What kind of banana plants are there?

Within the family Musaceae, there are 3 genera of banana plants: Ensete, Musa, and Musella.

How many banana plants are there in the world?

They are grown in 135 countries, primarily for their fruit, and to a lesser extent to make fiber, banana wine, and banana beer and as ornamental plants. The world's largest producers of bananas in 2017 were India and China, which together accounted for approximately 38% of total production....BananaGenus:Musa9 more rows

Which variety of banana is best?

12 Tasty Varieties of Bananas in IndiaElaichi or Yelakki Bananas. The small-sized fruits are very sweet and loaded with nutritional properties. ... Rasthali. Found mostly in South India and in Bihar and Jharkhand, this is a medium-sized fruit. ... Poovan. ... Lady Finger. ... Bhim Kol. ... Nendran. ... Thella Chakkarakeli. ... Karpuravalli.More items...•

Which country banana is best?

Top Banana Producing Countries In The WorldRankCountryProduction (in tonnes)1India27,575,0002China (mainland)12,075,2383Philippines8,645,7494Brazil6,892,6221 more row

How long do bananas take to grow?

Banana plants grow quickly and can reach their full height of 20-40 feet in only 9 months. After growing for about 6-8 months, the plant develops a nice crown of leaves. Then a flowering stem emerges from the top, and a large bud begins to develop.

What is Kerala banana?

Changalikodan Nendran Banana or famously known as Changalikodan is a banana variety originated and cultivated in Chengazhikodu village of Thrissur District in Kerala state of India. Changalikodan, now are cultivated on the banks of the Bharathapuzha river.

What is G9 banana?

G9 is one of the most commonly cultivated Cavendish bananas. These are the high yielding plantain among all the banana varieties which is introduced to India from Israel.

Where do purple bananas grow?

The purple banana is known as the “red banana” or the “Dacca” around the world. Its nutrients may contribute to improved heart and digestive health when consumed in a healthy diet. It is native to Southeast Asia.

What bananas are ripe?

1. Cavendish Bananas. These bananas are the most common variety, easily available in supermarkets in the United States. They are available in young unripe green to fully ripe, smooth yellow to riper dark yellow with brown spots. You can add them in smoothies, pancakes, or banana bread. 2.

What is the name of the banana in Indonesia?

Also Known as Musa Belle banana, Pisang Raja is a popular variety in Indonesia. It has a slightly grainy texture and sweet flavor with a thick peel. The fruit is popular in the preparation of banana pancakes, which is a famous snack in Indonesia.

What is the taste of a young apple banana?

Also known as ‘apple bananas,’ they are stout and plump, with a thick firm peel and a light, creamy flesh. Young apple bananas have a tangy and sweet taste with a hint of apple. When the fruit ripens, they have a tart-apple aroma and a flavor of tropical profile with notes of strawberry and pineapple.

What fruits have a pink and orange taste?

6. Red Bananas. Red bananas have red-purple skin, sweet flesh with a pink and orange tinge. Few of them are small and plump than Cavendish banana. When fully ripen, they have a cream to light pink flesh. Some of the fruits have a slight raspberry taste, and others have an earthy flavor. 7. Goldfinger Bananas.

How long is a lady finger banana?

Lady Finger. ‘Lady Finger’ bananas are 4-5 inches long, cigar-shaped sweet fruit. They have a bright yellow thin peel with dark flecks when fully ripen. The flesh is creamy and more delicious than the other common banana varieties. 4.

What is the most popular tropical fruit?

Bananas are the most popular tropical fruit that offers great taste and nutrition. There are around 1000 different types of bananas all over the world, and each of them comes with unique color and flavor! Here are some of the best Types of Bananas you can have! Botanical Name: Musa acuminata. USDA Zone: 4.

What is blue banana?

Blue Java bananas have vanilla ice-cream like flavor, and are also famous as ‘Ice cream bananas.’ They have silver-blue skin that turns pale yellow when ripe. The fruit has aromatic soft and sweet flesh. Add them to smoothies or relish their distinctive taste raw!

How many varieties of bananas are there?

We all know bananas are one of the most popular fruits across different cultures. In fact, there are at least a thousand banana varieties. Resulting from years of continuous experimentation and research in agriculture, many of these varieties are inedible. The most common edible bananas are hybrids derived from two wild species— Musa acuminata ...

Where do bananas come from?

The most common edible bananas are hybrids derived from two wild species— Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana. It is customary to see a banana growing in private backyards in tropical countries with year-round warm climates. Although, more often than not, the owners are not even aware of the exact variety they have.

What is the color of a red banana?

Red bananas. Sometimes called red Cavendish bananas, cultivators closely derived red bananas from the Musa acuminata variety. Red bananas have a deep red to maroon peel and a light yellow or pink flesh when already ripe. Softer and sweeter than yellow Cavendish bananas, red bananas have a hint of raspberry in its flavor.

What is a yellow banana?

However, some types are hybrids with the Musa balbisiana variety. These types are usually the yellow bananas that have a sweet flavor. Here are the most commonly produced varieties:

What is a Gros Michel banana?

Gros Michel. Gros Michel bananas, also known as Big Mike bananas, was the main variety of bananas grown until the 1950s. Early plantations in Central America primarily exported the Gros Michel variety to Europe and North America until a wilt fungus wiped out vast tracts of the crop.

Why is a lady's finger banana called a banana?

The lady finger banana is called such because it resembles the slender fingers of a lady. It has a yellow color with brown spots like a Cavendish banana, but it is smaller, sweeter, and has thinner skin. In fact, sometimes called sugar bananas, lady finger bananas are sweeter than most varieties.

What is dwarf Jamaican banana?

Dwarf Jamaican. Dwarf Jamaican bananas are also red bananas that are smaller in size. This variety boasts a robust flavor, making its long ripening process worth the wait. Most dwarf Jamaican and other red bananas are packed more with beta carotene and Vitamin C than yellow bananas.

What are the different types of bananas?

Left to right: plantains, Red, Latundan, and Cavendish bananas. The following is a list of banana cultivars and the groups into which they are classified. Almost all modern cultivated varieties ( cultivars) of edible bananas and plantains are hybrids and polyploids of two wild, seeded banana species, Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana.

How are bananas classified?

Banana cultivars derived from M. acuminata and M. balbisiana can be classified into cultivar groups using two criteria. The first is the number of chromosomes: whether the plant is diploid, triploid or tetraploid. The second is relationship to the two ancestral species, which may be determined by genetic analysis or by a scoring system devised by ...

What is the name of the bananas that are domesticated in the Pacific?

Maoli-Popo'ulu subgroup - subgroup of cooking bananas domesticated in the Pacific region. Maqueño banana. Popoulu banana .

Where are bananas grown?

sapientum – those used as dessert bananas. The primary center of diversity of cultivated bananas is Southeast Asia.

What is the name of the banana that Linnaeus discovered?

balbisiana, both first described in 1820 by the Italian botanist Luigi Aloysius Colla, and that Linnaeus' two "species" were both this hybrid, which is now called M. × paradisiaca.

How many characters are in a cultivar?

A cultivar is scored on 15 characters, chosen because they differ between the two species. Each character is given a score between one and five according to whether it is typical of M. acuminata or of M. babisiana or is in between.

Is a banana a clone?

Cultivated bananas are almost always seedless ( parthenocarpic) and hence sterile, so they are propagated vegetatively ( cloned ). They are classified into groups according to a genome-based system introduced by Ernest Cheesman, Norman Simmonds, and Ken Shepherd, which indicates the degree of genetic inheritance from the two wild parents and ...

1 Burro Banana

Orinoco Musa or Burro banana is one of the superior varieties because of its resilience to harsh winds. Burro bananas are sometimes chunky bananas because they have a unique square shape. The fruit has a rich green peel, which turns yellow with brown spots as the fruit ripens.

2 Cavendish Banana

Musa acuminata Cavendish Subgroup or simply Cavendish banana is the banana you can find in every supermarket. Cavendish bananas replaced the Big Mike variety in popularity and mass-production because the Big Mike type was wiped out because of viral disease.

4 Gros Michel Banana

The Gros Michel banana or Big Mike variety was a widely available banana type until the 1950s. The fruit looks like Cavendish bananas with a characteristic half-moon shape and yellow fleshy peel, but the taste is significantly sweeter.

5 Lady Finger Banana

Lady Finger Bananas are called baby bananas because they are half the size of Cavendish bananas. The average size is about three inches.

6 Pisang Raja Banana

Pisang Raja banana features a thicker texture than most varieties. When Pisang raja fruit is ripe, it doesn’t have starch!

7 Praying Hands Banana

Praying hands banana got the name because of its unique appearance. Two fruits meet together at one point and resemble the look of praying hands! But, each hand contains several single bananas.

8 Goldfinger Banana

Goldfinger Banana has a distinct apple flavor. You can eat them fresh or cook them when they are green. The best way to cook Goldfinger bananas is to boil or deep-fry them!

1. Cavendish Bananas

Cavendish bananas have been the classic lunchbox variety since the late 1950s. They’re long, slightly curved and cylindrical, with slightly pointed ends. Their skins are bright green when unripe and ripen to a bright golden yellow, gaining black freckles or spots as they continue to ripen.

2. Burro Bananas

Burro bananas resemble the cavendish variety but are shorter and more square in shape. They have dark green peels that deepen to deep yellow with black spots when fully ripe. Their creamy white or yellow flesh has a lemony banana flavor when ripe and is slightly firmer toward the center.

3. Manzano Bananas

Manzano bananas are short and chubby with thick yellow skins that turn completely black when ripe. They’re sometimes called the apple banana because of their apple-like flavor when immature. When fully ripe, they have a more tropical, pineapple flavor.

4. Nino Bananas

Nino (or baby) bananas are short and stubby, about three inches long, and have thin green skins that turn bright yellow, with some black spots, when fully ripe. Baby bananas have a very dense creamy texture and once ripe their flavor is rich and sweet with vanilla and caramel undertones.

5. Red Bananas

Red bananas have a purple or maroon-red skin that makes them a distinctive sight. They are squatter than a cavendish and its cream-colored flesh often has a light pink or pale orange hue. Sweeter than a traditional banana, they are a great choice to use for sampling with consumers. They are available year-round from Ecuador and Mexico.

6. Pisang Mas Bananas

Pisang Mas bananas are small, squat, and straight to slightly curved in shape, averaging 2-3 centimeters in diameter and 10-14 centimeters in length. The tiny banana’s thin peel is green when immature and a vibrant yellow when ripe. The soft inner flesh matches the golden yellow hue of the outer skin and has a fruity aroma when peeled.

7. Rajapuri Bananas

Rajapuri bananas are small to medium-sized fruits, averaging 15 to 17 centimeters in length, and have a cylindrical, straight to slightly curved shape with pointed ends. The fruits form in large bunches, weighing up to 40 pounds, and grow in an upright pattern.

What is the most common banana?

Cavendish Bananas. Cavendish bananas are the most common variety. They are the long yellow, slightly sweet bananas at supermarkets around the U.S. They go from under-ripe green to perfectly ripe and still firm mellow yellow, to riper deep yellow with a brown spot or two, to super soft and browning.

What do bananas taste like?

To those of you in less tropical climes, such variety seems like sheer madness and something to look for when you visit. What all bananas have in common is a fairly starchy texture, a mildly sweet flavor as compared to other tropical fruits, and the wonderful ability to keep ripening after they've been plucked from their trees.

What is the red banana?

Red Bananas. There are many types of red bananas, but they share two key things in common: they look super cool, and they tend to be on the sweeter side of the banana flavor family. Eat them out of hand or add them to dishes, but when they're red, they're ready to eat! Continue to 7 of 7 below.

Where are candy apple bananas grown?

Maximilian Stock Ltd. Apple bananas are exceptionally sweet, hence their other name, Candy Apple Banana. They are grown in the rainy tropical forests in Hawaii. Their flesh is firm and has a slight pinkish tone.

Can bananas be stored in the fridge?

As tropical fruits, bananas don't care for the chill of the fridge, so it's best to store them at room temperature, where they'll continue to ripen gradually. If you want to speed things up, simply pop them in a paper bag. Have too many bananas to handle? Throw them in the freezer -- still in the peel, if you want.

Can frozen bananas be eaten straight?

Their texture won't be great for straight eating, but frozen bananas transform smoothies to a milkshake-like thickness and are perfect for baking banana bread or banana muffins . Continue to 2 of 7 below. 02 of 07.

Can bananas be cooked?

Cooking bananas, like plantains, are better thought of as potatoes than as bananas. They can be roasted, steamed, fried into tasty chips, and otherwise used like any starchy vegetable. They are sold green, and many different types of bananas can be used as "cooking bananas" while they're still green and starchy.

What is the most popular banana?

Before Cavendish bananas became so popular, the Gros Michel cultivar was the most popular type of banana. One of the biggest types of bananas, the large size of the banana and its thick peel means that it is an excellent export banana.

What is a banana?

Bananas are a type of edible fruit that grow in many tropical countries. The common banana is a long-curved fruit with yellow-colored peel and starchy soft flesh. There are around 1,000 varieties of bananas in different sizes, shapes, and even colors. For example, there are small red bananas, long plump green bananas, purple bananas, ...

How long does it take for a cavendish banana to ripen?

Cavendish bananas are usually sold while they are still slightly green and they will ripen in a few days. Some popular Cavendish banana cultivars include ‘Dwarf Cavendish,’ ‘Giant Cavendish,’ and ‘Williams.’. Another classification of banana is the ‘Grande Naine’ which is also called the Chiquita banana.

Why are cavendish bananas so popular?

One of the reasons why Cavendish bananas are so popular is because they are a sweet variety of fruit. In fact, they are also classified as a dessert banana. Their ripe soft flesh is delicious eaten raw.

What is a Manzano banana?

Manzano Bananas (Apple Bananas) Manzano banana is a type of short banana cultivar that is also known as apple banana or Latundan banana. Another type of small banana is the Manzano banana cultivar (also called Apple banana) . This may not be the smallest banana variety, but it has a short length and chubby look to it.

What does a burro banana taste like?

The dark green flesh gradually turns deep yellow as the banana ripens. Before they are fully ripe, Burro bananas have a tangy taste and a firm texture. As they ripen, their flesh becomes much sweeter and has a dense texture.

What does it mean when a banana is ripe?

When they are ripe, their peel turns reddish-purple skin. Peeling the skin reveals a light creamy flesh that is semi-soft. Some types of red bananas have yellowish-orange flesh. The sweet flesh has hints of bananas and raspberries when you bite into it.

Overview

Cultivars

The total number of cultivars of bananas and plantains has been estimated to be anything from around 300 to more than 1000. Names are highly confused, even within a single country. Many common names do not refer to a single cultivar or clone; for example 'Lady's Finger' or 'Lady Finger' has been used as the name for members of different genome groups, including AA and AAB. Many other names are synonyms of cultivars grown in the same or different countries. Att…

Classification of cultivars

See also

Further reading

External links