No, a banana is not a false fruit. It is a true fruit. This means that it develops from the ovary of a single flower. The entire fleshy part of the banana we eat is actually the ripened ovary.
False fruits, also known as accessory fruits, are formed when other parts of the flower, such as the receptacle, sepals, or petals, become fleshy and surround the true fruit. Examples of false fruits include apples, pears, and strawberries.
Here's why bananas are true fruits:
- Development from the ovary: Bananas develop directly from the ovary of a single flower, without any other parts of the flower contributing to the fleshy part.
- Lack of fertilization: Bananas are often seedless because they develop without fertilization, a phenomenon called parthenocarpy.
While some sources might mention "false banana" (such as the Enset plant), this refers to a different plant that produces a fruit similar in appearance to a banana but is not botanically related.
