Does the Banana Have Seeds

Despite what many people think, depending on the species analyzed, bananas do have seeds.

Banana is the name given to the plants grouped in the genus known as Musa. These species have large, green leaves that have Sheaths that form a pseudostem. The true stem of the banana, also called the rhizome, is underground and grows horizontally in the soil. The banana tree produces a fruit called banana, which is highly appreciated food by the entire world population and usually consumed fresh.

How do bananas reproduce without seeds

Despite being very widespread, the fruit details are not well known by the population, especially with regard to its structure. Many people believe that the little black dots in the center of the banana are seeds. However, these structures are unfertilized ovules. The cultivated banana is a parthenocarpic fruit, that is, it develops without fertilization and therefore has no seeds.

The development of seedless bananas occurred because of the selection of these fruits by producers who wanted to improve the quality of the product offered. Probably, the initial development of this type of fruit occurred due to some genetic change.

It is worth mentioning that even today it is possible to find bananas with seeds in nature. These wild bananas usually develop seeds in situations of environmental stress as a way to ensure their survival. An example of a banana that has seeds is the Musa balbisiana, native to South Asia (see photo below).

Picture of Musa balbisiana banana with seeds — Musa balbisiana is native to Australasia; it grows naturally in the Southeast Asian region from India to China, where hybrids with Musa acuminata have long been selected for cultivation. Does the banana have seeds?

Reproduction

Reproduction of the banana plant is usually vegetative, that is, shoots are separated from the mother plant, which gives rise to another specimen. In this case, the plant has no genetic diversity because it is identical to the mother plant. This poses a major problem, since from one specimen, which is easily infected with diseases, another with the same problem is produced.

Reproduction can also be done by rhizome fractionation, a technique in which parts of the plant stem are planted. There is also the possibility of propagating the plant through in vitro seedling techniques.