The Probert Encyclopaedia of Nature

BANYAN

The banyan banyan or banian (Ficus indica), is a tree of India, of the fig genus. The most peculiar feature of this tree is its method of throwing out from the horizontal branches, supports which take root as soon as they reach the ground, enlarge into trunks, and extending branches in their turn, soon cover a prodigious extent of ground. A celebrated banyan-tree has been known to shelter 7000 men beneath its shade. The wood is soft and porous, and from its white glutinous juice bird-lime is sometimes prepared. Both juice and bark are regarded by the Indians as valuable medicines.
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