liana

thumb|Mixed-species tangle of lianas in tropical Australia thumb|Lianas in Udawattakele, Sri Lanka thumb|A canopy of Entada gigas that has formed over a monkey ladder vine ([[Bauhinia glabra) on Kauai, Hawaii]] thumb|Liana tangle across a forest in the Western Ghats

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A liana is a long-stemmed climbing plant that grows up trees and other structures in tropical and subtropical forests around the world. Lianas are ecologically important because they form dense tangles in forest canopies and contribute significantly to the structure and biodiversity of forest ecosystems.

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Image: Liane vor Baum, Cuyabeno, Ecuador.jpg

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Commons category: Lianas

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A liana ( , also ) is a long-stemmed woody vine that is rooted in the soil at ground level and uses trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the canopy in search of direct sunlight. The word liana does not refer to a taxonomic grouping, but rather a habit of plant growth—much like tree or shrub. It comes from standard French , itself from an Antilles French dialect word meaning 'to sheave'.