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Ficus benghalensis
Ficus benghalensis is the national tree of India. The tree is considered sacred in India and temples are often built beneath. Due to the large size of the tree's canopy it provides useful shade in hot climates. produces propagating roots which grow downwards as aerial roots. Once these roots reach the ground they grow into woody trunks. The figs produced by the tree are eaten by birds such as the Indian myna. Fig seeds that pass through the digestive system of birds are more likely to germinate and sprout earlier. This tree is of high religious importance in Hinduism in India
tropics
Spotted on Apr 9, 2018
Submitted on Apr 21, 2018
3 Comments
Thanks DanielePralong and Antonio
Great spotting Amol Pandit,congrats on the well deserved SOTD and thanks for sharing
Congratulations Amol Pandit, your Banyan Tree is our Spotting of the Day:
"A tree that can become a whole forest by itself! This magnificent banyan tree (Ficus benghalensis) is our Spotting of the Day. The banyan tree is a large evergreen tree with a massive trunk and spectacular aerial roots hanging down from branches which will eventually become trunks. The circle of trunks deriving from one original tree can become enormous: 200 m in diameter and 30 m in height. It is pollinated by a single species of wasp, Eupristina masoni. Figs produced by the tree are eaten by birds such as the Indian myna which help propagate the seeds. Native to tropical Asia, from India through to Malaysia, the banyan tree is also cultivated and naturalized in many tropical regions of the world including western Africa, North America, the West Indies, Australia, the Middle East, and many islands in the Pacific ocean".
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