Banana is a berry, not a fruit or vegetable, as many think. In this article, we will consider a number of factors that allow us to consider this fruit as a berry. Thanks to this, you will understand why the botanists made such an interesting decision.
What is the difference between fruits and berries?
Few people know that all fruits are divided into 2 categories - dry and fleshy. The first category includes nuts, acorns, coconuts, etc., while the second includes pears, cherries, bananas, and many others.
In turn, the fleshy fruits are subdivided into simple, multiple and compound fruits. So the berries are simple fleshy fruits. Therefore, from a botanical point of view, berries are considered fruits, but not all fruits are berries.
The banana falls under the category of the part of the plant that develops into a fruit. For example, some fruits come from flowers with one ovary, while others have more than one ovary.
In addition, there are a number of important classifications that help to understand whether the fruit is a berry, fruit or vegetable.
To be called a berry, the fruit must grow from only one ovary, usually having a soft skin (exocarp) and fleshy insides (mesocarp), as well as one or more seeds. Banana meets all of the above requirements, as a result of which it can rightfully be called a berry.
Bananas are not considered berries
In the mind of many people, the berries cannot be large. For this reason, they find it difficult to believe that a banana is a berry. This is not surprising, since the banana is called a fruit in literature, the press and on television.
Even more confusing is the fact that botanists also sometimes disagree on the exact classification of certain fruits. Consequently, the word "fruit" is used to define most fruits, including bananas.
Other fruits that are also berries
Banana is far from the only "fruit" that falls under the berry classification. From a botanical point of view, berries are also considered:
- a tomato
- watermelon
- kiwi
- avocado
- eggplant
Like bananas, all of the above fruits grow from flowers with one ovary, have a fleshy insides and contain one or more seeds.
In conclusion, I would like to remind you that berries are allowed to be called fruits, but not vegetables.
