n.
Unusually shaped tree ( Ficus benghalensis , or F. indica ) of the fig genus in the mulberry family , native to tropical Asia.
Aerial root s that develop from its branches descend and take root in the soil to become new trunks. The banyan reaches a height of up to 100 ft (30 m) and spreads laterally indefinitely. One tree may in time assume the appearance of a very dense thicket as a result of the tangle of roots and trunks.