amantedelenguaje

I am kind of curious. I know that the leaves of a banana are the main (and perhaps only) source of photosynthesis. However, since a banana pseudostem is green at times as are the petioles and banana fruit, I wonder if they are capable of photosynthesis if only to a small degree. I tried to research this via the internet, but I couldn't find a straight forward answer.

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sunfish

amantedelenguaje

Thanks for the response. The video does not answer my question. I don't want to know HOW photosynthesis occurs. I want to know IF the petioles, pseudostem, and banana fruit MIGHT contain chlorophyll, chloroplasts, the thylakoid membrane, and therefore be capable of some degree of photosynthesis.

It seems logical to me that plants have leaves which give them greater surface area to trap light and carry out photosynthesis. BUT do other parts of the banana that have less surface area but are still green capable of some degree of photosynthesis?

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sunfish

Photosynthesis takes place primarily in plant leaves, and little to none occurs in stems, etc.


Photosynthesis

amantedelenguaje

Got it! Thank you. ;-)

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Gabe15

Yes, any green portion of the plant will be photosynthesizing, but the overal contribution to the plant compared to the leaves is minor.

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Growing bananas in Colorado, Washington, Hawaii since 2004. Commercial banana farmer, 200+ varieties.

momoese

This is why I clean away anything brown from the pseudostems especially on plants with fruit bunches that need all the help they can get to fill and ripen. I'll also remove leaves and sometime whole plants to get more sun on plants with bunches, especially in the winter when the sun is low in the sky.

Romul

Любые части растения, содержащие хлорофилл, способны к фотосинтезу. Некоторые орхидеи, например, Phalaenopsis, имеют хлорофилл в воздушных корнях, и они способны к фотосинтезу.А орхидея Chiloschista из той же трибы не имеет листьев и их функцию выполняют зеленые воздушные корни.

momoese

Translated by google:

Any parts of plants that contain chlorophyll, are capable of photosynthesis. Some orchids, like, Phalaenopsis, have chlorophyll in aerial roots, and they are able to fotosintezu.A Chiloschista orchid from the same tribe has no leaves and their function is performed by green aerial roots.

amantedelenguaje

Thank you! I suspected that green portions of the plant might be able to photosynthesize. I noticed that when I remove old sheaths from the pseudostem of my banana, they turn from a pale creamy red to green.

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Olafhenny

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my own and those of others and to learn from them.

sunfish

venturabananas

Keep in mind that the pseudostem of bananas is not actually a true stem (hence the name) -- it is made of leaf sheaths -- which will photosynthesize. The actual stem of the banana is the thing the inflorescence (and bunch) is on.

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