Large-fruited fig, Knobbly fig
Ficus sansibarica

Family: Moraceae

What it is like

A fig. It is a large tree. It grows to 24 m tall. The trunk is light grey and up to 3 m across. It can grow as a strangler from a tree branch and send down aerial roots. The leaves are smooth. They are 3-13 cm long and 3-8 cm wide. They are oblong or slightly narrow with a rounded base. There are 7-8 pairs of veins branching outwards and looping along the leaf edge. The leaves are on long leaf stalks. The fruit occur as one or two fruit high up on the spreading main branches. The fruit are 5 cm across. They have a two lobed opening at the end. They are green when young and turn red when ripe. The fruit 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 low altitude forest.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Central Africa, Congo, East Africa, Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Southern Africa, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten as a snack.

The figs are occasionally eaten.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

The tree can be grown from seed. The seeds are very fine and are best sown with fine sand. Seeds germinate after 15-30 days. Seedlings and young plants transplant easily. The wasp pollinator is Courtella armata (Wiebes).

It is fast growing. It grows about 1 m per year.

Its other names

Local names

Angola fig, Engaboli, Knobbly fig, Knoppiesvy, Mahalavu, Mkuu, Mkuyu, Mpoloto, Mpondopondo, Mtulutulu, Mutambvu, Undola, Zanzibar fig

Synonyms

Ficus brachylepis Welw. ex Hiern.; Ficus chirindensis C. C. Berg. part only; Ficus delagoensis Sim; Ficus gossweileri Hutch.;