Banana is a native of south Asia and it was brought to the Western Hemisphere during the 16th century. Banana plant is an oversized herb belonging to the lily family. Although there are several varieties of banana, the most important one entering the trade is Musa sapientum.
According to Alfred Wegener, all the major continents formed one giant supercontinent, called Pangaea. About 200 million years ago, the supercontinent Pangaea began to rift.