Beduli
Ficus hederacea

Family: Moraceae

What it is like

A fig. It is a climbing evergreen shrub. The stems and branches form aerial roots at the nodes. The leaves are 6-11 cm long by 4-5 cm wide. They are thickly leathery. The figs are round or oval. They are 1-1.5 cm across. They are orange-yellow or pink. They become black with pale dots when ripe.

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

It is a tropical plant. It grows up to 2000 m altitude in Uttar Pradesh in India. In the Indian Himalayas it grows between 1,300-2,000 m above sea level. In southern China it grows between 500-700 m above sea level and up to 1,500 m.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Bhutan, China, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Northeastern India, SE Asia, Sikkim, Thailand

How it is used for food

The ripe fruit are mixed with salt and eaten fresh.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Jia ni ni bai

Synonyms

Ficus scandens Roxb.;