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Banyan, or Banian, Ficus bengalensis. 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, which extend branches in their turn, soon covering a prodigious extent of ground. A celebrated banyan tree has been known to shelter seven thousand 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 Hindoos as valuable medicines.

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