This is an evergreen monoecious tree that can draw water continuously or deciduous, milky, and grow up to 10 to 30 m high. The smooth bark is gray to reddish brown. The trunk can reach 1 m in diameter with sometimes tabular roots at the base (flattened roots in the form of buttresses which contribute to its support) and possibly some short aerial roots in the branches.

The leaves are alternate, simple, ovate-lanceolate or elliptical, at the apex obtuse or sub-acute, margin entire. They are 5 to 18 cm long and 3 to 8 cm wide, bright green on the upper side, lighter and dull on the underside, with 4 to 8 pairs of prominent lateral veins on the underside, like the main vein. The sycones are numerous in thick tufts directly on the trunk or main branches without leaves (cauliflorie); they are globular-depressed with a pyriform shape, 2.5 to 3.5 cm in diameter, initially green, then reddish or orange when ripe, often with darker streaks; the real fruits are tiny and contain a single seed about 1 mm long.

They are grown in the villages for their fruit, and their usefulness in traditional medicine and the shading they provide. This tree plays an important role in the traditions and rites of local people. This tree can be used as an isolated subjects can be planted in gardens and parks in are as a point of attraction with its bunches of fruits scattered on the trunk and their imposing main branches. It has no particular soil requirements. It is also an excellent subject to form bonsai. The fruits are edible and the plant has medicinal properties. Various parts of the plant are used in traditional medicine, especially Indian, against various pathologies; laboratory tests have shown the presence of compounds with analgesic, anti-diarrheal, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antipyretic, antioxidant and hypoglycemic properties, which can be studied further.

 

Magnificient Trunk & Root Ficus

Log in Register