What do you think this is?

Where did it come from?

What is it used for?

Answers:

What do you think this is? Where did it come from?

This is a large seed pod from a banga or banyan tree! The banyan is a large tree that can be found throughout Asia and Oceania. Also known as the "strangler fig," the banyan grows from seeds dropped into root-crevices of other trees, where it nourishes itself from the host tree's resources till eventually the host tree can no longer access enough of the resources to survive. This one came from a tree in the Philippines!

What is it used for?

While the banyan is a relative of the fig, its fruit is much less edible. Before this seed pod was donated to the Karshner Center in 1944, it was used as a baby's rattle!

For more information, visit:

• This artifact in the Karshner Digital Collections
• Artifact Worksheets you can use in your classroom or for homeschool
• Banyan Trees
• What is a Banyan Tree?

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