Encyclopedia > Banyan

  Article Content

Banyan

Banyan

Larger version
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Division:Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Urticales
Family: Moraceae
Genus: Ficus
Species: benghalensis
Binomial nomenclature
Ficus benghalensis
Ref: ITIS 506543 (http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=506543)

The Indian Banyan tree is a kind of fig which can grow into giant trees covering several hectares. It is originally from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, but has been imported in other regions as well. The first banyan tree in the USA was planted by Thomas Alva Edison in Fort Myers, Florida.

The banyan starts as an epiphyte on another tree, where a fig-eating bird had deposited the seed. It developes aerial roots from the branches, which grow into full stems once they touch the ground. This allows the tree to spread into a big area, the biggest banyan tree in Poona[?], India is said to measure half a mile around its perimeter.



All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License

 
  Search Encyclopedia

Search over one million articles, find something about almost anything!
 
 
  
  Featured Article
Westhampton Beach, New York

... -72.646009)1. According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 7.7 km² (3.0 mi²). 7.5 km² (2.9 mi²) of it is land and ...

 
 
 
This page was created in 25 ms