Matt Fact #16
I had a rather interesting pint last night, which (naturally enough) is the source of inspiration for today's Matt Fact. It was a rather interesting tipple, one of a number of unusual beers I was given for my birthday last week, and a most appropriate libation. It was Charles Well's Banana Bread Beer.
The topic of today's Matt Fact, then, is the banana.
The banana is the fourth most widely consumed food in the world today, after rice, wheat and maize, and is therefore the most widely consumed product not derived from grass. The fact that the species is in danger from dying out as a result of its weakness to a variety of pests and diseases is therefore a grave concern. The banana itself is a conundrum of sorts, as the 'banana tree' is not a tree, and the 'banana fruit' is not a fruit. The 'tree' is actually a herbaceous plant, and the 'fruit' is, of course, a false berry.
Nothing about this is particularly surprising to anyone who knows a thing or two about bananas. However. There is one thing which sets them apart from other plants. Banana plants have the ability to 'walk'. As they continually regrow new shoots from their root stock, they migrate - sometimes by up to two or three feet in a single season. Banana farmers are compelled to allow for this migration by leaving large gaps between the rows of plants. Fascinatingly, the plants will migrate in formation, so that although they stray from their original planting site, their positions remain constant in relation to each other. It rather begs the question "where are they going to?" Perhaps one day we may be in a position to find out. Providing they don't become extinct.
_
The topic of today's Matt Fact, then, is the banana.
The banana is the fourth most widely consumed food in the world today, after rice, wheat and maize, and is therefore the most widely consumed product not derived from grass. The fact that the species is in danger from dying out as a result of its weakness to a variety of pests and diseases is therefore a grave concern. The banana itself is a conundrum of sorts, as the 'banana tree' is not a tree, and the 'banana fruit' is not a fruit. The 'tree' is actually a herbaceous plant, and the 'fruit' is, of course, a false berry.
Nothing about this is particularly surprising to anyone who knows a thing or two about bananas. However. There is one thing which sets them apart from other plants. Banana plants have the ability to 'walk'. As they continually regrow new shoots from their root stock, they migrate - sometimes by up to two or three feet in a single season. Banana farmers are compelled to allow for this migration by leaving large gaps between the rows of plants. Fascinatingly, the plants will migrate in formation, so that although they stray from their original planting site, their positions remain constant in relation to each other. It rather begs the question "where are they going to?" Perhaps one day we may be in a position to find out. Providing they don't become extinct.
_