The Strangler Fig
The strangler fig is an amazing tree. Almost everywhere you look in the tropics, you will find its strange twisted shape standing tall above the forest. There are about 800 species of fig trees throughout the world. About 300 of them are stranglers.These long vines hang down from trees in the canopy and are called lianas or bush ropes.These plants are strong enough for a person to climb on and some are 500 feet long. You can find strangler figs in Africa, Asia, and in Central and South America. They even grow in Florida. They don't sprout from the ground like most trees. They sprout high on other trees' branches. The roots drop down to the ground where water is found. Over many years the roots will grow around the tree trunk. The tree strangles it and dies and only the strangler is left.
The strangler fig produces fruit that is important to rain forest animals from opossums and monkeys to bats and birds.
This page created by:Zach
photo: credit 6
This page was created by Eleva-Strum sixth grade students
supported by a Cluster A Goals 2000 Grant|Created 4.14.99|Updated 4.14.99
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