Banyan
The triliteral root bā nūn yā (ب ن ي) occurs in the Quran 184 times.
A banyan, also spelled "banian", is a fig that begins its life as an epiphyte, i. e. a plant that grows on another plant, when its seed germinates in a crack or crevice of a host tree or human edifice. "Banyan" often specifically denominates Ficus benghalensis (the "Indian banyan"), which is the national tree of the Republic of India.
Older banyan trees are characterized by aerial prop roots that mature into thick, woody trunks, which can become indistinguishable from the primary trunk with age. Old trees can spread laterally by using these prop roots to grow over a wide area. In some species, the prop roots develop over a considerable area that resembles a grove of trees, with every trunk connected directly or indirectly to the primary trunk.
Due to the complex structure of the roots and extensive branching, the banyan became a symbol of strength and reliability.
Etymology
The name was originally given to Ficus benghalensis, and comes from India, where early travellers observed that the shade of the tree was frequented by Banyans (a corruption of Baniyas, a community of Indian traders).
In the Gujarati language, banya means "grocer or merchant", not "tree". The Portuguese picked up the word to refer specifically to Hindu merchants, and passed it along to the English as early as 1599 with the same meaning. By 1634, English writers began to tell of the banyan tree, a tree under which Hindu merchants conducted their business. The tree provided a shaded place for a village meeting or for merchants to sell their goods. Eventually, "banyan" became the name of the tree itself.
In The Quran
(61:4) God loves those who fight in His cause as one column; they are like a solid building (Arab. بُنْيَانٌ, bun'yānun).
(95:1) And the fig (Arab. وَالتِّينِ, wal-tīni), and the olive.
