Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective
Ficus pseudopalma
Species of fig From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
Ficus pseudopalma is a species of fig, (subgenus Sycamorus) in the mulberry family (Moraceae).[1] It is known by the common names Philippine fig, dracaena fig, and palm-leaf fig.[2] In nature it is endemic to the Philippines, especially the island of Luzon.[2] It is known elsewhere as an ornamental plant.
This is a shrub or rarely branching small tree growing erect with a naked unbranched mesocaul stem topped with a cluster of wavey-edged leaves to give it the appearance of a palm.[3] Indeed, the species name pseudopalma means "false palm".[4] The leaves are 75–100 cm (30–40 in) long and up to 15 cm (6 in) wide,[5][6] with a yellow midrib and edged with dull teeth. The edges of the leaf are elevated above the midrib, forming a sort of trough.[7] The fruit is a dark green fig that grows in pairs, each fruit 2.5 cm (1 in) diameter; it is edible but not very tasty.[5]
In Luzon, this plant occurs in grassland and forest habitat, where it is considered common.[8] The new shoots of the plant are eaten as a type of vegetable, and there are a number of traditional medicinal uses, such as a remedy for kidney stones made from the leaves.[9] In Bicol Region the plant is known as Lubi-lubi and the leaves are cooked in coconut milk.[4] In 2003 the leaves were sold in markets for US$0.74 per kilogram, and the plant can be grown in plantations without pesticides for an adequate profit.[4]
This shrub has been used as a landscaping plant in Hawaii, but it never escaped cultivation or became established in the wild because the species of wasp that pollinates it was never brought to the islands.[3]
Remove ads
References
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads