This is an interesting question. I assume you mean that if one trunk of a
2 or more trunk braided Benjamin fig were ringed, or girdled, would the
ringed trunk live. The answer would depend on whether the trunks grew
tightly enough together for natural grafting to occur. I believe the first
book on plant physiology, Vegetable Staticks, 1727, by Stephen Hales
addressed that question. Reprints of Vegetable Staticks are often found in
college libraries.
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David R. Hershey
Snail mail: 6700 Belcrest Road #112, Hyattsville, MD 20782-1340
Adjunct Professor, Biology/Horticulture Department
Prince George's Community College, Largo, MD 20772-2199
Email: dh321 at pgstumail.pg.cc.md.us
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On 7 Dec 1996, Michael Joseph Kerkman wrote:
> A friend asked me (she's in my botany class but has trouble getting on
> this newsgroup) a question and I am posing it here:
> when you ring a tree, it dies becuz of the fact that the phloem
> can'tr do all it's transporting. But what about a ficus tree taht is
> braided? Like in nursuries when they do that. What if you ring a braided
> ficus? Would it die? But doesn't It have phloem in the middle that would
> still be there to transport photosynthate?
> Well, I think it could still live. What about you?
> mike kerkman
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