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Jada Chang
What's the difference between 'vine' and 'liana'?
What's the difference between 'vine' and 'liana'?
Are 'climbing plants' and 'creeping plants' both vines or lianas?
Jul 17, 2010 4:25 AM
Answers · 3
1
To add to Nicholas' answer, one would never use "liana" in daily conversation. It's a botanical term. "Vine" serves for the general meaning.
July 18, 2010
1
My understanding is that a liana is simply a tropical vine, according to various online dictionaries. "Liana" and "vine" are almost synomyms; they are both creeping/climbing plants. The only difference between these two words is that a liana characteristically grows in tropical places whereas a vine grows in any other type of environment. Thus,to put it another way, you could say that a liana is a type of vine, but a vine can be a liana only if it grows in a tropical environment.
To answer the second question, plants that are creeping (developing gradually over a period of time) or climbing (growing in an upward direction) are both representative of vines. If the creeping/climbing plant grows in a tropical setting, you can say it is a liana.
In short, it all depends on which environment the vine grows (tropical or non-tropical).
July 17, 2010
vines include both herbaceous and woody plants, liana refers to a woody vine. Many are tropical, but poison ivy and grapes are examples of a liana in temperate environment.
August 28, 2012
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Jada Chang
Language Skills
Chinese (Mandarin), Chinese (Cantonese), English
Learning Language
Chinese (Cantonese), English
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