Native banyan
Ficus prolixa

Family: Moraceae

What it is like

A strangler fig. A large tree with a spreading crown. It grows 20 m high. It has milky sap. It develops hanging roots which form several large trunks. The bark is mottled and grey-brown. The bark is green underneath. The leaves are simple and alternate. The blade is narrowly oval and 5-11 cm long. It is rounded at the base. It narrows at the tip. The leaf is dark glossy green on the upper surface and lighter underneath. The mid vein is yellow. The side veins form loops. The leaf stalk is 1.3-2.3 cm long. The flowers are in a fig receptacle. This fruit like structure has broad bracts that remain on the base. This fruiting structure is 5-7 mm across. It is green to yellow. It has many small seeds.

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. In Samoa it grows between 20 to 400 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

American Samoa, Fiji, Kiribati, Mariana Islands, Marquesas, Micronesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Pacific, Pohnpei, Rotuma, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna, Yap

How it is used for food

The fruit are cooked and eaten with coconut sap.

Edible parts

Sap chewed, fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Aaw, Aiau, Aw, Aw aw, Giliau, Hulio, Ifaluk, Kiliau, Kuliyaw, Lulk, Nunu, Te kiriawa, Yaaw

Synonyms

Ficus aoa Warb.; Ficus marquesensis F. Br.; Ficus prolixioides Warb.; Ficus umbilicata Bureau;