Phytoliths of banana

Caption:: Phytoliths of Musa acuminata, one of the wild ancestors of cultivated bananas. Phytoliths, literally 'plant stones', are microscopic mineral inclusions. They form when silica from groundwater accumulates in plant tissues, where they acquire their distinct shape. As the plant decays, phytoliths are released into the soil. Banana phytoliths provide evidence of the crop's cultivation.
Keywords:: Phytoliths
Date shot:: 2005
Locality:: Provo
Province/State:: Utah
Country:: United States of America
Photographer:: Ball, Terry / Brigham Young University