Ficus exasperata

Sandpaper tree
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Moraceae
Tribe: Ficeae
Genus: Ficus
Subgenus: Sycidium
Species: F. exasperata
Binomial name
Ficus exasperata
Vahl
Synonyms
  • Ficus asperrima Roxb.
  • Ficus hispidissima Wight ex Miq.
  • Ficus politoria Moon
  • Ficus punctifera Warb.
  • Ficus scabra Willd. [Illegitimate]
  • Ficus serrata Forssk. [Illegitimate]
  • Ficus silicea Sim
  • Synoecia guillielmi-primi de Vriese [1]

Ficus exasperata, also called the sandpaper tree, forest sandpaper fig, white fig, or sandpaper leaf tree, is a deciduous, and dioecious species of plant in the fig genus, native to tropical Africa, from Senegal, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Mozambique to Angola, and southern Asia of India, Sri Lanka, and to Arabian countries such as Yemen.[2]

Description

Sandpaper tree is a small to medium-sized tree in the banyan group of figs, growing to 20–30 metres (66–98 ft). The trunk develops aerial and buttressing roots to anchor it in the soil and help support heavy branches. It has almost distichous and alternate which are almost opposite, simple; blade ovate to elliptical or obovate; base acute to obtuse; apex shortly acuminate, acute or obtuse; and margin toothed to entire. Flowers are unisexual and are pink, purplish, or yellow, becomes orange or red at maturity.[3]

Growth and Development

Fruit is a syconium and trees may be either female or hermaphrodite. Hermaphrodite trees are functionally male. The tree is known to pollinated by the wasp Kradibia gestroi, where the female lays eggs in female trees with only short-styles. Besides sexual reproduction, the tree may grow with vegetative means propagated by seed and cuttings.[4]

Uses

Sandpaper tree is widely used as a source of sandpaper and as a valuable medicinal plant. The extracts from the tree used to treat as anti-ulcer, hypotensive, lipid-lowering, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic activity.

References

  1. ↑ "Ficus exasperata Vahl — The Plant List". theplantlist.org.
  2. ↑ http://database.prota.org/PROTAhtml/Ficus%20exasperata_En.htm
  3. ↑ http://www.figweb.org/Ficus/Subgenus_Sycidium/Section_Sycidium/Ficus_exasperata.htm
  4. ↑ "Flora of Zimbabwe: Species information: Ficus exasperata". zimbabweflora.co.zw.

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