Bayan
It is believed that one of these trees has the largest canopy in the world.
The banyan was formerly an important source of shellac. Shellac is a resin secreted by the indian lac insect (Laccifer lacca), which sucks plant juice from the banyan tree. It is sold in the form of dried flakes that can be dissolved in alcohol before use. Shellac is used in hairspray and in the surface treatment of foodstuffs (E904).
In the first half of the 1900s, shellac was also used in the production of old-fashioned 78 rpm gramophone records.
Bayan is the national tree of India, and the tree in the world with the largenst canopi is belived to be a banyan in India.
Facts:
- Greenhouse location: Tropical house
- Danish name: Bengalsk figen
- Latin name: Ficus benghalensis
- Family: Mulberry family / Moraceae
- Natural habitat: India and Southeast Asia