How Do Lianas Grow?

Definition

Lianas are wood vines commonly found in the tropical rainforest. There are at least 2,500 species of lianas, classified into 90 different families. Some of these species include rattan, philodendron and Strychnos toxifera, from which the poison strychnine is derived. Rattan vine is used to make rattan furniture and rope. Like most parasitic plant species, lianas are supported by other plant life, in this case, trees. They can either grow in small vines or grow as thick as the trees themselves. Some varieties can reach 3,000 feet long.

Young Lianas

Lianas begin their life on the ground as a shrub, then grow upward toward the rainforest canopy, where they receive nutrient-rich sunlight for growth. Lianas are generally self-supported, meaning that they don't require nutrients from other plant life to develop, though they are dependent on other plants for their foundation. This allows the vines to concentrate their growth mainly on their leaves and stems and roots.

Leaves

The leaves of lianas are important in the vine's development. The triangular leaves flatten against the tree, using sucker roots or tendrils for attachment. Attaching themselves to young trees or saplings, they grow upward around the trunk. The growth pattern for lianas differs from that of other parasitic vines, which grow downward from the top of the canopy. Once the vine reaches the top of the canopy, it pulls away from the tree to get more sunlight, often spreading to other trees or wrapping itself around other liana vines for support.

References

• Rainforest Canopy--Vines and Lianas
• Plants of the Rainforest