Riverine sandpaper fig
Ficus capreifolia

Family: Moraceae

What it is like

A fig. It is a shrub. It grows up to 4-7 m tall. The bark is pale whitish and smooth. The stems are slender and it has few branches. The branches are often long and whip-like. The leaves are oval and 11 cm long by 4.5 cm wide. They are dark green and have a very rough surface. They resemble sandpaper. The base is narrowly lobed and it tapers to the tip. The edges often have teeth. The fig fruit occur singly and are pear shaped. They are up to 10 cm long. They are grey green and have a rough skin. They are produced on fairly long stalks in the axils of leaves.

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. They grow along watercourses in the Savannah. It grows in swamps. It can form tangled thickets along river banks. It grows between 45-1,600 m above sea level. In Zimbabwe it grows up to 910 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo DR, Congo R, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The figs are eaten. The ripe fruit are eaten raw.

Edible parts

Fruit, leaves, seeds, vegetable

How it is grown

The pollinating wasp is Kradibia gestroi afrum (Wiebes).

Its other names

Local names

Arabi-safarra, Emunparauta, Inkhiwane, Laweydi, Lugo, Mukaramadzi, Munharauta, Palli, Rimerhi rimabetchehi, Rough-leaved fig, Towsi, Willow wild fig, Wu badonri

Synonyms

Ficus hikoloensis Berkhaut; Ficus palustris Sim.;