Wild rubber fig
Ficus polita

Family: Moraceae

What it is like

A strangler fig that becomes a large tree. It grows 10-16 m tall. The bark is light brown. It flakes in small sections. The leaves are broadly oval. They are 6-15 cm long by 4-10 cm wide. They are dark green and glossy above and paler underneath. The tip narrows to a point. The base is rounded. The figs are 1.5-3 cm across. They normally occur in pairs. They can be on the branches or the trunk. They are green and warty.

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 evergreen forest, coastal forest and dune forest. It grows up to 1,500 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

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

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten. The young leaves are eaten.

Edible parts

Leaves, fruit

How it is grown

The wasp pollinator is Courtella bekiliensis.

Its other names

Local names

Arafaja, Blohunyi, Bupoco, Durumi, Figuerinha, Lithahi, Rita

Synonyms

Ficus bizanae Hutch. & Burtt Davy;