: any of various usually woody vines especially of tropical rainforests that root in the ground
Examples of liana in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Growing as a liana, or a ropy vine, Triphyophyllum peltatum can reach more than 160 feet in length and traps insects in sticky glands that grow along it.
—
Riley Black,
Smithsonian Magazine,
6 June 2025
If lianas can climb all the way up it and lay their leaves on top, that's not very good for that tree.
—
Bill Chappell,
NPR,
11 Apr. 2025
In a typical lightning strike in a tropical forest, the lightning attaches directly to a large-canopy tree and the electrical current moves through air gaps, branches or lianas to damage neighboring trees, according to previous research.
—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2025
The warming of low-elevation tropical forests is driving lianas to strangle trees.
—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi,
Harper's Magazine,
2 Apr. 2024
Famously, the liana is one of the two main ingredients in a ritual drink called ayahuasca, which can induce hallucinations or an altered state of mind.
—
Kiona N. Smith,
Ars Technica,
16 May 2022
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Riley Black,
Smithsonian Magazine,
6 June 2025
If lianas can climb all the way up it and lay their leaves on top, that's not very good for that tree.
—
Bill Chappell,
NPR,
11 Apr. 2025
In a typical lightning strike in a tropical forest, the lightning attaches directly to a large-canopy tree and the electrical current moves through air gaps, branches or lianas to damage neighboring trees, according to previous research.
—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2025
The warming of low-elevation tropical forests is driving lianas to strangle trees.
—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi,
Harper's Magazine,
2 Apr. 2024
Famously, the liana is one of the two main ingredients in a ritual drink called ayahuasca, which can induce hallucinations or an altered state of mind.
—
Kiona N. Smith,
Ars Technica,
16 May 2022
Cite this Entry
“Liana.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liana. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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