Strangler fig

Index of plants with the same common name From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Strangler fig

Strangler fig is the common name for a number of tropical and subtropical plant species in the genus Ficus, including those that are commonly known as banyans.

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Ficus watkinsiana on Syzygium hemilampra, Australia

Species

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Perspective

Some of the more well-known species are:

These all share a common "strangling" growth habit that is found in many tropical forest species.[1][failed verification] This growth habit is an adaptation for growing in dark forests where the competition for light is intense. These plants are hemiepiphytes, spending the first part of their life without rooting into the ground. Their seeds, often bird-dispersed, germinate in crevices atop other trees. These seedlings grow their roots downward and envelop the host tree while also growing upward to reach into the sunlight zone above the canopy.[2][3]

An original support tree can sometimes die, so that the strangler fig becomes a "columnar tree" with a hollow central core.[4] However, it is also believed that the strangler fig can help its support tree survive storms.[5]

References

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