A different kind of family tree
There are some species that develop an intimate bond with humans and become ingrained in the fabric of our society, whether through religion, myth, utility or design.
In the empire of trees, those woody cathedrals of the floral world, two undisputed claimants for India would be the Pipal and Banyan. Both these species of Ficus are members of the Moraceae, or Fig, family of which there are some 100 or so species across the country, and over 1,000 worldwide.
South of the Himalayan foothills, almost every kind of terrain in our country features these trees, making them a common thread between the many cultures and peoples that make up our large and diverse nation.
There are hundreds of splendid specimens of both in Mumbai. Two banyan specimens near INS Angre at Fort are said to have been planted as far back as the mid-16th century, by the then Portuguese governor of Bombay.
Several others appear quite ancient, especially amid in our city’s mill and dock areas, though none seem to have attained the enormity that you see in some of India’s really old banyans — those timeless sentinels that form the hub of a village and the heart of its chauraha.
Perhaps it is only apt that in a city where real estate is so out-ofbounds for most, even our trees are denied the space they need. Some majestic specimens have been lost recently, casualties of the massive infrastructure plans being unfurled across the region. Even so, the tree census estimates there are more than 15,000 Pipal and about half as many Banyan trees in Mumbai proper.
The Pipal (Ficus religiosa) is a deciduous tree that sheds much of its foliage in January and February but gets a flush of breezy rose-pink leaves in March, livening up the dry landscapes of our tropical summers. The heartshaped leaves have long stalks, wavy edges and pointed, elongated tips.
The Banyan (Ficus bengalensis), in contrast, is an almost evergreen tree. Its leaves are ovalish with a firm, leathery feel. You can tell one a mile away by its distinctive aerial roots.
Give a Banyan enough space and time and these unbelievably tough tendrils turn into woody props, which is how some of the really big Banyans in India having managed to spread across as much as 4 acres! Some specimens of the Banyan are, in fact, the world’s largest known trees in terms of area covered.
Old-growth Ficus trees generally form wonderfully wild overgrown settings, each giant with its tangled empire of roots and branches a forest unto itself.
Did you know that the Pipal and the Banyan also bear fruit? Of course they do; they belong to the Fig family, after all.
But what a unique fruit it is. And what an incredible association it must have with certain insects, in order to survive. Stay tuned for more on that!
(Sunjoy Monga is a naturalist, photographer and author of numerous books on biodiversity)