African rock fig, Hairy rock fig
Ficus glumosa

Family: Moraceae

What it is like

A fig. It is a shrub or tree. It loses its leaves during the year. It grows up to 10-15 m tall. It has spreading branches. It can spread 12 m wide. The bark is smooth and a grey-green. It has a few rough flaky pieces. The young shoots are hairy white. The leaves are soft and pink when young but stiff and papery when mature. They are long and oval. They are 2.5-10 cm long. The tip is rounded but with a sharp point. The base of the leaf is heart shaped. The leaf stalk is 4 cm long and thick and wavy. The leaves are hairy underneath except in one variety. The fruit are figs which are round and in pairs. They have fine silky hairs. They grow in the axils of leaves and are 7 cm across. They are green but turn red as they ripen. They are sweet and succulent.

There are about 800-1000 Ficus species. They are mostly in the tropics. There are 120 Ficus species in tropical America.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It is normally found in dry country in Africa. Often it is among rocks and in wooded grassland. It is sensitive to frost. It grows between 245-1,850 m above sea level. It can tolerate drought. It can grow in arid places. It suits hardiness zones 7-9.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Australia, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Chad, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, East Africa, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Middle East, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sahel, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, West Africa, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The ripe fig fruit are eaten. The gum is also chewed as a masticatory. The leaves are cooked as a vegetable.

The fruit are especially eaten by children.

Edible parts

Leaves, fruit, seed, gum, vegetable

How it is grown

Plants grow naturally from seed. Seed can be removed from figs and dried and used. Plants can also be grown from cuttings. The wasp pollinator is Elisabethiella glumosae Wiebes.

It is slow growing.

Its other names

Local names

Barach, Bergvy, Berg-rotsvy, Bukuzu, Ebiyong, Ebyong, Edalach, Eki, Eletan, Gilinziela, Halota, Inkhokho lemplophe, Inkiwane, Kadjere, Kilta, Kionywe, Kolo, Kuntsee, Kworo, Lanfane, Maginyela, Mangyea, Mountain fig, Mountain rock fig, Mutove, Nanrale, N'gaba, Nragama, Okworo, Pau-de-leite, Quequeie, Qilxaa, Rachere, Sague, Soto, Tchekehi, Tinaita, Tonri, Tshikululu, Umnyaxa

Synonyms

Ficus durandiana Warb.; Ficus glumosa var. glaberrima Martelli; Ficus glumosoides Hutch.; Ficus gombariensis De Wild.; Ficus kitaba De Wild.; Ficus montana T.R. Sim.; (Illegitimate] Ficus rehmannii Warb.; Ficus sonderi Miq.; Sycomorus hirsuta Sond.;