Gutta perch tree
Ficus platyphylla

Family: Moraceae

What it is like

A fig. It is a large tree. It grows up to 15-20 m tall. It loses its leaves during the year. It often starts by growing attached to others trees. The bark is brown or grey. It often has many surface roots. The small branches are 1-2 cm thick and white or hairy. The surface is flaky when they are dry and it has large leaf scars. The leaves are dark green and oval. They are large and stiff. They can be 15-26 cm long and 10-20 cm across. The edge of the leaf is wavy and the tip can be blunt or pointed. The base of the leaf is heart shaped. There are 9-11 (10-16) pairs of side veins. The leaf stalk is 4-10 cm long. The fruit are figs which occur in clusters or 2-5. They are towards the tip of the small branches. They are on stalks 1-2.5 cm long and below the leaves. The figs are 1-2 cm across. They are red (green). The figs are edible.

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 grows in dry savannah and wooded grassland. It grows in the Sahel. It grows between 950-1,200 m above sea level. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall between 600-1,300 mm. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, Sahel, Senegal, Somalia, Southern Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda, West Africa, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The fig fruit are eaten. The tree produces Niger Gutta which used to be used for chewing gum.

The fruit are usually eaten as a famine food.

Edible parts

Fruit, gum

How it is grown

Plants grow naturally from seed. Plants can also be grown from cuttings. The seed should be extracted from the figs and dried for planting. Seed can be stored fro 2 months.

Its other names

Local names

Bazlawar, Dundehi, Ebulai, Ebule, Fadut, Gamji, Leiya, Liya, Mulombo, Ngabara, Oboloko, Pouhre, Rerumma, Surei, Titee

Synonyms

Ficus umbrosa Warb.; Ficus bibracteata Warb.;