128 



development may begin can not be said accurate!}^ — probably 

 there is no limit. Soon after the establishment of the young 

 plant, a series of roots begins to grow downward along the bark 

 of the host tree. When these reach the ground and take root, 

 the fig is converted from an epiphyte into a holophyte, and 

 henceforth contributes to its own physical support. It is ob- 

 vious that the growth of a large epiphyte is rather hazardous, 

 because of the difficulty of obtaining an adequate supply of 

 water and inorganic materials, and this condition may set the 

 upper limit of height at which the balete may develop. In other 

 words, if the balete seedling is too high, it may starve to death 

 before its roots establish connection with the ground. In the 

 younger baletes under observation, where the point of attachment 

 could be readily observed, it was seldom more than twenty feet 

 above the ground, but in one case the height was at least forty 

 feet at a conservative estimate. In this particular balete, there 

 was just one straight root descending without branches to three 

 feet from the ground, and then branching and entering the 

 ground in two places. Most baletes send down several roots, 

 which branch and anastomose freely on the way. Possibly 

 the unusual habit of this one enabled it in some wa}^ to reach 

 the ground from so great a height. 



Most baletes observ^-ed had germinated on the side of a com- 

 paratively small tree, seldom exceeding two feet in diameter at 

 the point of attachment. Even on a tree of onl}^ six inches 

 diameter, the mechanical strain of supporting a young balete 

 can not be very great. The branches of the balete, also, are 

 under those of the host, and can not interfere with the light. 

 The first danger to the host comes from the roots which grow 

 down the sides of the stem. These branch repeatedly, surround 

 the stem within a short distance from their base, and anastomose 

 freely to form a complete network around the tree. This mesh 

 of roots is so thick and strong, that it is very doubtful whether 

 the host can grow in thickness after it is once established. At 

 any rate, by the time the mesh work has become a solid mass 

 around the tree within, the host dies, and the balete now enters 

 on a completely independent existence. On the younger ones, 



