Banyan fig
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Banyan tree ( Ficus benghalensis ) |
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The banyan fig ( Ficus benghalensis ), also called the banyan tree or Bengali fig , is a species of the subgenus Urostigma from the genus of figs ( Ficus ) in the mulberry family (Moraceae). The species, originally native to the South and West Indies , can now be found all over the tropics. Other species of the subgenus Urostigma, e.g. B. the large-leaved fig , sometimes referred to as the banyan tree.
description
The banyan grows epiphytically and not host-specifically in the branches of a tree, which is initially not damaged because the banyan is not a parasite . It sends out aerial roots which over time develop into a dense network. Once the roots have reached the ground, there is a growth spurt because the plant is no longer solely dependent on the substrate that has accumulated on the host tree. As it ages, the infested tree is eventually crushed and dies.
Banyan trees reach a stature height of 20 meters, rarely up to 30 meters. The bark is gray and smooth, the irregularly shaped trunk is short and soon divides into widely spreading branches. The wood is soft, not very durable and of little economic use. Air roots arise from the side branches, which thicken on contact with the ground and support the crown like a trunk. In this way, over time, the banyan tree can occupy a floor area of several hundred square meters. The roots run flat under the surface and are extensive. The banyan tree has large, leathery leaves. They are ovate to elliptical with a rounded or slightly heart-shaped base, they end bluntly at the front. The petiole is 1.5 centimeters long, the stipules are 2 to 2.5 centimeters long and envelop the buds, they fall off when the leaf unfolds. The young leaves are reddish in color and, like young twigs, are softly hairy. The leaves stick to the tree for about a year, then all of the foliage is replaced by new shoots within a short time.
The flowers are grouped in specialized inflorescences typical of figs. In the banyan fig, these inflorescences contain male, female and sterile flowers at the same time. The male flowers are clustered at the opening of the inflorescence, they consist of four broad petals and a stamen . Female flowers have reduced petals and a long stylus . Sterile flowers also form broad petals and a short style. The wasp species Eupristina masonii pollinates the flowers of the banyan fig. It penetrates the inflorescence and lays eggs through the stylus into the ovules, where the larvae develop. The plant produces a white milky sap . The figs are eaten by birds, bats, squirrels and monkeys, which helps spread the trees through the droppings.
The number of chromosomes is 2n = 26.
distribution
The banyan fig was originally native to the north-west of India on the slopes of the Himalayas, in the Deccan Mountains and in the south of India. Today it is widespread through plantings throughout Southeast Asia.
use
The banyan fig is planted as a park tree, where it has a high ornamental value due to its size and broad crown shape. The wood is seldom used, occasionally for underwater construction; the wood of the support roots is harder and more elastic. Coarse ropes can be made from young aerial roots.
The milky sap is occasionally used medicinally, as are the root tips.
In India , the banyan tree is revered as a sacred tree, especially by Hindus. Branches of the banyan fig are used in ritual acts.
Systematics and botanical history
Ficus benghalensis was described by Carl von Linné in 1737 , who later also used the name Ficus indica . The species name refers to the Bengal region . The name "Banyan" goes back to banyas , Hindu traders in the Persian Gulf. These gathered under certain trees; the name was transferred to trees by Europeans.
A closely related species is Ficus arnottiana . There are some populations that differ in the shape of the leaves and the formation of aerial roots; one of them is sometimes separated as Ficus krishnae .
See also
literature
- PV Bole: Ficus benghalensis . In: Encyclopedia of Woody Plants . 2. Supplementary delivery 10/95, ISBN 3-527-32141-1
- Hermann Stadler : Indian fig tree . In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume IX, 2, Stuttgart 1916, column 1368 f.
Individual evidence
- ^ Ficus benghalensis at Tropicos.org. In: IPCN Chromosome Reports . Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis
Web links
- Ficus benghalensis from Useful Tropical Plants, accessed January 17, 2018.