106 



PLANT RELATIONS. 



that of the banyan tree, whose wide-spreading branches 

 are supported by prop roots, which are sometimes very 

 numerous (see Fig. 101). The immense banyans usually 



illustrated are 

 especially culti- 

 vated as sacred 

 trees, the prop 

 roots being as- 

 sisted in pene- 

 trating the soil. 

 There is record 

 of such a tree in 

 Ceylon with 350 

 large and 3,000 

 small prop roots, 

 able to cover a 

 village of 100 

 huts. 



69. Parasites. 

 Besides roots 

 related to soil, 

 water, air, and 

 various mechani- 

 cal supports, 

 there are others 

 related to hosts. 

 A host is a liv- 

 ing plant or 

 animal upon 



FIG. 102. A dodder plant parasitic on a willow twig. The W h 1 C h SOme 

 leafless dodder twines about the willow, and sends out other plant Or 



^^^^^ lch ^ n ^ temdAl)mb '-' Attae animal is livin g 



as a parasite. 



The parasite gets its supplies from the host, and must be 

 related to it properly. If the parasite grows upon the 

 surface of its host, it must penetrate the body to obtain 



