Complex sentence: In the case of the Banyan tree, also known as the "strangler fig", the tree begins as a small aerial plant, and grows down and around the stem of its host until it reaches the ground.
Split into simpler sentences: In the case of the Banyan tree, also known as the "strangler fig", the tree begins as a small aerial plant. Its roots grow down and around the stem of its host until it reaches the ground.