Banana is the
common name for
herbaceous plants of the
genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. It is one of the oldest cultivated plants. They are native to tropical
South and
Southeast Asia, and are likely to have been first domesticated in
Papua New Guinea.
[1] Today, they are cultivated throughout the
tropics.
[2] They are grown in at least 107 countries,
[3] primarily for their fruit, and to a lesser extent to make
fiber,
banana wine and as
ornamental plants. Its fruits, rich in
starch, grow in clusters hanging from the top of the plant. They come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red.