The great banyan tree, whose scientific name is Ficus benghalensis is a giant banyan tree, which is situated in Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah, in the city of Kolkata. This tree is considered to be the widest tree in the entire world and is approximately about 200 to 250 years of age. Since it caught a disease after it was hit by lightning. Therefore in the year 1925, the middle of the banyan tree was chopped off to prevent further damage to the tree. Consequently, the banyan tree developed into a colony, instead of a single tree. Soon, a road was built around the circumference of this tree, which measured about 330 metres. The banyan tree, however, continued growing and spreading beyond it. The family of banyan tree is Moraceae.

This banyan tree is more than 250 years old and is known to be the largest tree in the country. Two cyclones which struck the tree in 1884 and 1886 did considerable damage to the tree and broke some of its branches. The attack of fungus also contributed to some of its destruction. The Great Banyan Tree appears almost like a dense forest, rather than just a single tree due to its innumerable aerial roots. The main trunk of the tree has decayed today and it was removed in the year 1925. The tree stands at 15.7 metres from the ground and the circumference of the original tree trunk was 1.7 metre. The tree occupies a total area of 14, 500 square metres. Currently, the tree boasts of 3, 300 aerial roots and its highest branch rises to nearly 250 metres.

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