Strangler fig
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Strangler Fig is the common name for a number of tropical plant species, including some banyans and unrelated vines, namely:
- Ficus aurea, also known as Florida Strangler Fig
- Ficus barbata
- Ficus watkinsiana
They all share a common "strangling" growth habit that is found in many tropical forest species, particularly of the genus Ficus. This growth habit is an adaptation for growing in dark forests where the competition for light is intense. These plants begin life as epiphytes, when their seeds, often bird-dispersed, germinate in crevices atop other trees. These seedlings grow their roots downward and envelope the host tree while also growing upward to reach into the sunlight zone above the canopy.
An original support tree can sometimes die, leaving a "columnar tree", central core empty, of the Strangler Fig.
See also
