Banyan

This article is about the tree. There is also a company called Banyan which named itself after the tree, see Banyan (company); and a music band, see Banyan (band), and a special type of network.

Many; see text for examples

Banyan (Ficus subgenus Urostigma) is a subgenus of many species of tropical figs with an unusual growth habit. They are large trees that usually start life as a seedling epiphytic on another tree (or on structures like buildings and bridges), where a fig-eating bird has deposited the seed. The seedling quickly develops aerial roots from the branches, which grow into full stems once they touch the ground. The original host is eventually strangled or split apart by the banyan's rapid growth, thus another common name for these trees is strangler fig.

This characteristic of developing aerial roots allows a single tree to spread over a large area. The biggest banyan tree in Pune, India is said to measure 800 m around its perimeter.

Like other members of this genus (which includes the common edible fig Ficus carica), banyans have a unique fruit and insect mediated fertilization process; see Fig for details.

The Indian Banyan (Ficus benghalensis) can grow into a giant tree covering several hectares. It is originally from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, but has been imported in other tropical regions. The first banyan tree in the U.S. was planted by Thomas Alva Edison in Fort Myers, Florida.

The Chinese Banyan (Ficus microcarpa), also known as the Malayan Banyan is native from Ceylon to India, southern China, the Malay Archipelago, the Ryukyu Islands, Australia, and New Caledonia.

The Central American Banyan (Ficus pertusa) is native to Central America and northern South America, from southern Mexico south to Paraguay

The Strangler Fig (Ficus citrifolia) is native to southern Florida, the Caribbean Islands, Central America and South America south to Paraguay.

The Florida Strangler Fig (Ficus aurea) is also native to southern Florida and the Caribbean Islands, and distinguished from the above by its coarser leaf venation.

The Sacred Fig (Ficus religiosa), Moreton Bay Fig (Ficus macrophylla) and Port Jackson Fig (Ficus rubiginosa) are also banyan species.