Musa×paradisiacaPlantain

Musa × paradisiaca, commonly known as plantain, refers to a group of cooking bananas typically eaten cooked rather than raw. These cultivars are largely sterile triploids arising from a hybrid between Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana; they are usually seedless and have a starchier fruit than dessert bananas.

The plants are robust perennial herbs with a tall pseudostem, large green leaves, and fruit borne in hanging clusters. The fruits are elongated and thick-skinned; when green they are starchy and firm, and as they ripen they become sweeter, but are generally cooked while still firm.

Plantains are grown in tropical regions worldwide, with major production in Africa, the Caribbean, Central America, and parts of Southeast Asia and South America. They are propagated vegetatively by suckers or corms and require warm temperatures, high humidity, and well-distributed rainfall. They are sensitive to frost and drought; commercial cultivation uses irrigation and fertilization to stabilize yields. Harvesting typically occurs when the fruit is mature but still green.

Plantains are high in carbohydrate starch and provide dietary fiber, potassium, and vitamin C. They are used in a variety of cooked forms, including fried chips, boiled mash, or baked dishes, and are a staple food in many tropical economies.

Diseases and pests pose significant challenges; fungal diseases such as black sigatoka and vascular wilt (Panama disease) threaten many cultivars, prompting breeding programs and disease management strategies. Plantain cultivation remains important for food security and regional economies in the tropics.