White fig tree, Forest sandpaper fig
Ficus exasperata

Family: Moraceae

What it is like

A fig. It is a tree. It grows 21 m tall. The trunk can be 50 cm across. It can have slight buttresses. It does not have aerial roots. It loses its leaves in the dry season. The leaves are rough like sandpaper. They have teeth around the edge. They are 12 cm long by 8 cm wide. The figs are in the axils of leaves or on lumps on the wood of last year's best branches. They occur singly or in pairs. They are pink or orange-red 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

A tropical plant. It grows in the drier parts of the evergreen forest in West Africa. In Malawi it grows in lowland and mid altitude rainforest and along rivers. It suits humid locations. It is recorded between 600-1,450 m altitude.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Arabia, Asia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo DR, Congo R, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, India, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Middle East, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Southern Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, West Africa, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The ripe fruit are eaten.

Edible parts

Fruit, leaves

How it is grown

The wasp pollinator is Kradibia gestroi afrum (Wiebes).

Its other names

Local names

Acarta-lixo, Athi-maram, Baure, Borra-cha-di-marabu, Bu pundun, Bu ves, Buiumbar, Bungadje, Cuncre, Cungre, Kalayodo, Karda, Ki ink, Korat, Lingua-di-baca, Lukenga, Muparauta, N'cungre, Nhinha, Noii, Po-di-lixa, Rufuba, Uiassiass, Umfubu, Uncuncre

Synonyms

Ficus silicea Sim;