The mid rib proved to be quite cool; apparently transpiration is greatest near the mid rib and evaporative cooling is intensified there. The leaf is quite hot a short distance on either side of the mid rib. The highest temperature was 48°C (118°F) which is hot enough to kill the leaf. The leaf was more than 3°C (5.4°F) cooler at its edges. Tearing the leaf produced more edges, and hence the torn leaf had an increased proportion of its surface at the "edge temperature." When the environmental conditions are such that a tattered leaf heats to 46°C (115°F), an untorn leaf would die, being 3°C warmer. A leaf temperature of 49°C (120°F) is lethal to most members of the banana family.