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Ficus palmata
  • Wild Fig

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Ficus genus in the family Moraceae.

Niche
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    The ecosystem niches for this plant are unknown. Do you know them? Click the edit button to add them!
Functions
  • None
    None
    There are no functions defined for this plant. Do you know of some? Click the edit button to add them!
Light
  • Full sun
    Full sun
    The amount of sun exposure that a plant prefers in ideal conditions.
    Key
  • no shade
    No shade
    The amount of shade a plant will tolerate without adverse health affects.
    Key
Water
  • Water Requirementsmoderate
    Moderate
    The amount of water a plant needs for healthy growth, relative to other plants.
    Key
Soil
  • acid,neutral,alkaline
    Acid to Alkaline
    The PH range (acidity or alkilinity) of the growth medium ideal for healthy nutrient absorbtion.
    Key
  • Sandy to Clay
    The soil texture this plant prefers for optimal growth.
    Key
Cold & Heat
  • ?
    Unknown
    The USDA Hardiness scale assigns plants a number from 1 to 12 representing the minimum temperature a plant can survive.
    Key
    0< -53.9ºC< -65ºF
    1-51.1ºC-60ºF
    2-45.6ºC-50F
    3-40ºC-40ºF
    4-34.4ºC-30ºF
    5-28.9ºC-20ºF
    6-23.3ºC-10ºF
    7-17.8ºC0ºF
    8-12.2C10ºF
    9-6.7ºC20ºF
    10-1.1ºC30ºF
    114.4ºC40ºF
    12> 10ºC> 5ºF
  • ?
    Unknown
    The AHS Heat scale assigns plants a number from 1 to 12 representing the number of days per year a plant requires a temperature exceeding 30ºC (86ºF).
    Key
    11
    21 - 7
    38 - 14
    415 - 30
    531 - 45
    646 - 60
    761 - 90
    891 - 120
    9121 - 150
    10151 - 180
    11181 - 210
    12181 - 210
Ficus palmata has 0 edible uses listed
Ficus palmata has 0 medicinal uses listed

Uses

Toxic parts

The sap and the half-ripe fruits are said to be poisonous.

Edible uses

Notes

Fruit - raw. Sweet and succulent[1]. A very tasty fruit[2], it is often dried for later use. The fruit is about 2.5cm in diameter and annual yields from wild trees is about 25kg[2]. The fruit contains about 6% sugars, 1.7% protein, 0.9% ash and 0.2% pectin[2]. Low in vitamin C, about 3.3mg per 100g[2]. The unripe fruits and young growth are cooked and eaten as a vegetable[3]. They are boiled, the water is removed by squeezing and they are then fried. a nice green vegetable[2]. Some caution is advised, see notes above on toxicity.

Fruit

Unknown use

Material uses

The pliable wood is of little value but has been used for making hoops, garlands, ornaments etc.
There are no material uses listed for Ficus palmata.

Medicinal uses(Warning!)

The fruit is demulcent, emollient, laxative and poultice[2][4]. It is used as a part of the diet in the treatment of constipation and diseases of the lungs and bladder[4].

The sap is used in the treatment of warts.

The latex of the plant is used to take out spines lodged deeply in the flesh[3].

Unknown part

Demulcent
Emollient
Laxative
Poultice
Warts

Ecology

Ecosystem niche/layer

Ecological Functions

Nothing listed.

Forage

Nothing listed.

Shelter

Nothing listed.

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a warm greenhouse. Prick out the seedlings as soon as they are large enough to handle and overwinter the young plants in a greenhouse for at least their first year. Plant out in late spring after the last expected frosts and give some protection for their first winter outdoors.

Cuttings of mature wood 10 - 12cm with a heel, winter in a frame. Fairly easy, but the cuttings must be kept frost free. It is probably best if the cuttings are put in individual pots[5].

Layering.

Practical Plants is currently lacking information on propagation instructions of Ficus palmata. Help us fill in the blanks! Edit this page to add your knowledge.



Cultivation

Requires a well-drained medium to light loam and some lime rubble incorporated into the soil. A heavy wet soil tends to encourage excessive plant growth at the expense of fruit.

Not very hardy in Britain it is best on a south or south-west facing wall in order to provide winter protection and more heat in the summer for ripening the fruit. It would probably succeed in a sheltered position in the open in the milder areas of Britain. The young growth in spring, even on mature plants, is frost-tender and so it is best to grow the plants in a position sheltered from the early morning sun[K]. This species is closely related to the common fig, Ficus carica, and is not perhaps specifically distinct. It has been recommended for growing in areas where the climate is too wet for common figs since it fruits during the monsoon season in the Himalayas. However, it probably requires the fig-wasp in order to pollinate the flowers and so is unlikely to fruit in areas such as Britain that are too cold for the fig-wasp to survive.

The fruits are often sold in local markets in the Himalayas[2]. There is a potential for commercial cultivation[2].

Crops

Problems, pests & diseases

Associations & Interactions

There are no interactions listed for Ficus palmata. Do you know of an interaction that should be listed here? edit this page to add it.

Polycultures & Guilds

There are no polycultures listed which include Ficus palmata.

Descendants

Cultivars

Varieties

None listed.

Subspecies

None listed.

Full Data

This table shows all the data stored for this plant.

Taxonomy
Binomial name
Ficus palmata
Genus
Ficus
Family
Moraceae
Imported References
Edible uses
[1][2][3]
Medicinal uses
[2][4][3]
Material uses & Functions
Botanic
[3]
Propagation
Cultivation
Environment
Cultivation
Uses
Edible uses
None listed.
Material uses
None listed.
Medicinal uses
None listed.
Functions & Nature
Functions
Provides forage for
Provides shelter for
Environment
Hardiness Zone
?
Heat Zone
?
Water
moderate
Sun
full sun
Shade
no shade
Soil PH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Soil Texture
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil Water Retention
well drained
Environmental Tolerances
  • Drought
Ecosystems
Native Climate Zones
None listed.
Adapted Climate Zones
None listed.
Native Geographical Range
None listed.
Native Environment
None listed.
Ecosystem Niche
None listed.
Root Zone Tendancy
None listed.
Life
Deciduous or Evergreen
deciduous
Herbaceous or Woody
woody
Life Cycle
perennial
Growth Rate
?
Mature Size
9 x meters
Fertility
self fertile
Pollinators
?
Flower Colour
?
Flower Type
monoecious











References

  1. ? 1.01.1 Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications ISBN 0-486-20459-6 (1972-00-00)
  2. ? 2.02.12.22.32.42.52.62.72.82.9 Parmar. C. and Kaushal. M.K. Wild Fruits of the Sub-Himalayan Region. Kalyani Publishers. New Delhi. (1982-00-00)
  3. ? 3.03.13.23.33.4 Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal Timber Press. Oregon. ISBN 0-88192-527-6 (2002-00-00)
  4. ? 4.04.14.2 Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. (1986-00-00)
  5. ? Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co (1948-00-00)


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Facts about "Ficus palmata"RDF feed
Article is incompleteYes +
Article requires citationsNo +
Article requires cleanupYes +
Belongs to familyMoraceae +
Belongs to genusFicus +
Has binomial nameFicus palmata +
Has common nameWild Fig +
Has drought toleranceTolerant +
Has edible partFruit +
Has edible useUnknown use +
Has environmental toleranceDrought +
Has fertility typeSelf fertile +
Has flowers of typeMonoecious +
Has lifecycle typePerennial +
Has mature height9 +
Has medicinal partUnknown part +
Has medicinal useDemulcent +, Emollient +, Laxative +, Poultice + and Warts +
Has search nameficus palmata + and wild fig +
Has shade toleranceNo shade +
Has soil ph preferenceAcid +, Neutral + and Alkaline +
Has soil texture preferenceSandy +, Loamy + and Clay +
Has soil water retention preferenceWell drained +
Has sun preferenceFull sun +
Has taxonomic rankSpecies +
Has taxonomy nameFicus palmata +
Has water requirementsmoderate +
Is deciduous or evergreenDeciduous +
Is herbaceous or woodyWoody +
Is taxonomy typeSpecies +
PFAF cultivation notes migratedNo +
PFAF edible use notes migratedNo +
PFAF material use notes migratedNo +
PFAF medicinal use notes migratedNo +
PFAF propagation notes migratedNo +
PFAF toxicity notes migratedNo +
Tolerates nutritionally poor soilNo +
Uses mature size measurement unitMeters +
Has subobjectThis property is a special property in this wiki.Ficus palmata +, Ficus palmata +, Ficus palmata +, Ficus palmata +, Ficus palmata + and Ficus palmata +