Ficus benghalensis
Encyclopedia
Ficus benghalensis, the banyan, is a large and extensive growing tree of the Indian subcontinent
. Ficus benghalensis produces propagating roots which grow downwards as aerial root
s. Once these roots reach the ground, they grow into woody trunks that can become indistinguishable from the main trunk.
it is known as aalamaram (ஆலமரம்). Sanskrit names include nyagrodha http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/scans/MWScan/tamil/index.html.
.
in the Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah, is considered to be one of the largest trees in the world in terms of area covered . Two other well known large trees of this species are one in Uttar Pradesh
near Varanasi
and another in Karnataka
near Bangalore
. The circumference of the whole complex of trees grown from the one central ancestor - still very much alive and all connected to it by the roots visible well over human height - is measured in kilometers.
It is also found in city of Vadodara
, Gujarat.
The name is Vadodara
due to name of tree Vad.
On the banks of the Narmada
stood a celebrated specimen, supposed to be that
described by Nearchus
, the admiral of Alexander the Great.
This tree once covered an area so immense, that it was known
to shelter no fewer than 7000 men, and though much reduced in
size by the destructive power of floods, the remainder was
described by James Forbes (1749–1819) in his Oriental Memoirs
(1813–1815) as nearly 2000 ft. in circumference, while the trunks
large and small exceeded 3000 in number.
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
. Ficus benghalensis produces propagating roots which grow downwards as aerial root
Aerial root
Aerial roots are roots above the ground. They are almost always adventitious. They are found in diverse plant species, including epiphytes such as orchids, tropical coastal swamp trees such as mangroves, the resourceful banyan trees, the warm-temperate rainforest rātā and pōhutukawa Aerial roots...
s. Once these roots reach the ground, they grow into woody trunks that can become indistinguishable from the main trunk.
Ecology
The figs are eaten by birds and mammals. Fig seeds are dispersed by birds such as the Indian Mynas and studies have shown that seeds that pass through the digestive system of the bird are more likely to germinate as well as sprout earlier.Names
Other names are also known as 'Bengal fig', 'Indian fig', also bargad, borh, wad, Peral . In TamilTamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
it is known as aalamaram (ஆலமரம்). Sanskrit names include nyagrodha http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/scans/MWScan/tamil/index.html.
Cultural significance
This tree is considered sacred in India, and often shelters a little or larger temple underneath, but is offered worship on its own generally too, and especially so on one particular full moon day in summer when the full moon occurs near the last star of the constellation Scorpio but definitely before beginning of Sagittarius . Even apart from the worship, it is one of the most sheltering trees in the heat of the land, with a large and deep shade, and is thus extremely useful for travellers of the old sort - on foot, bicycles or oxcarts, or horse riders - travelling for hours or days; traditionally it was found almost ubiquitously on roads and in village centres, the latter very useful for any formal or informal gathering to be conducted in a cool place or even for any poor person or a traveller to sleep under . The respect for this and other trees of this nature is thus linked both to the use and the worship as sacred. Also known as Indian Banyan, Ficus bengalensis is also the National tree of IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Large specimens
The Great BanyanThe Great Banyan
The Great Banyan is a banyan tree located in Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah, near Kolkata, India. It was the widest tree in the world in terms of the area of the canopy and is estimated to be about 200 to 250 years old...
in the Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah, is considered to be one of the largest trees in the world in terms of area covered . Two other well known large trees of this species are one in Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
near Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
and another in Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
near Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
. The circumference of the whole complex of trees grown from the one central ancestor - still very much alive and all connected to it by the roots visible well over human height - is measured in kilometers.
It is also found in city of Vadodara
Vadodara
Vadodara formerly known as Baroda is the third most populated city in the Indian State of Gujarat . It is one of the four cities with the population of over 1 million...
, Gujarat.
The name is Vadodara
Vadodara
Vadodara formerly known as Baroda is the third most populated city in the Indian State of Gujarat . It is one of the four cities with the population of over 1 million...
due to name of tree Vad.
On the banks of the Narmada
Narmada River
The Narmada , also called Rewa is a river in central India and the fifth largest river in the Indian subcontinent. It is the third largest river that completely flows within India after Ganges and Godavari...
stood a celebrated specimen, supposed to be that
described by Nearchus
Nearchus
Nearchus was one of the officers, a navarch, in the army of Alexander the Great. His celebrated voyage from India to Susa after Alexander's expedition in India is preserved in Arrian's account, the Indica....
, the admiral of Alexander the Great.
This tree once covered an area so immense, that it was known
to shelter no fewer than 7000 men, and though much reduced in
size by the destructive power of floods, the remainder was
described by James Forbes (1749–1819) in his Oriental Memoirs
(1813–1815) as nearly 2000 ft. in circumference, while the trunks
large and small exceeded 3000 in number.
External links
- Bar or Bargad Ficus benghalensis L., hort.purdue.edu