If you look at some of the species in this area of the glasshouse you will notice that many of them have patterned leaves. It is also a common occurrence to find red backing on leaves e.g. on species of Calathea and some species of Maranta (in the smaller circular bed). One theory is that these pigments are more successful at picking up the remaining light available to plants on the forest floor.

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The Banana - the wild banana on the opposite side of the Palm House door and the cultivated variety at the entrance to the Tropical House are also part of the herb layer. Compare the trunk of the banana with that of a tree. What do you notice?

The Banana 'trunk' is really made up of leaf bases rolled up inside each other. Each 'plant' of the cultivated banana only lasts for about a year, after it flowers and bears fruit the "trunk" and leaves die. However its permanent underground rhizomes continually produce new plants.

The wild banana has much smaller fruit, which are filled with large black, hard seeds and not eaten. These can either be grown from the seeds or the rhizomes.

The banana is really a plant of tropical forest clearings. Notice that the leaf blades tear easily which reduce wind resistance and saves the plant from being blown over.

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