Common wild fig, Strangler fig
A tropical plant. It grows in wet and dry upland forest. It also grows in open grassland, woodland and swamp forest and along rivers. It can be on the edges of mangroves. It grows in the Sahel. It grows in areas with a 700-1800 mm rainfall. It grows in savannah forest often on stony hills in West Africa. It grows between 1,000-2,500 m altitude. It is drought tolerant. It can grow in arid places. It suits hardiness zones 7-9.
Also known as:
Belene, Bongo, Bupok, Cediya, Chaqerta, Chibeha, Dambi, Di kikilik, Doobaali, Dubalae, Dubale, Ebule, Gerina, Gewone wildevy, Gulgosi, Ibule, I-mara, Kachele, Kanyanguni, Ka pva, Kwonkwia, Lauro, Lodo, Looro, Loro, Mbelen, Mkuu, Moumo, Mugumo, Ndibale, Ndan, Ndubali, Nsanda, Ol-endeti, Ordenai, Oretiti, Pwoo, Shawri-wabi, Tinaita, Uncuine, Wuurdonaa, Yasin
Synonyms
- Ficus bequaertii De Wild.
- Ficus bongoensis Warb.
- Ficus burkei (Miq.) Miq.
- Ficus butaguensis De Wild.
- Ficus chlamydodora Warb.
- Ficus crassipedicellata De Wild.
- Ficus cyphocarpa Midlbr.
- Ficus dekdekena (Miq.) A. Rich.
- Ficus dekdekena var. angustifolia Peter
- Ficus dinteri Warb.
- Ficus erici-rosenii R. E. Fries
- Ficus eriocarpa Warb.
- Ficus galpinii Warb.
- Ficus goetzei Warb.
- Ficus iteophylla Miq.
- Ficus kagerensis Lebrun & Toussant
- Ficus mabifolia Warb.
- Ficus mammigera R. E. Fries
- Ficus medullaris Warb.
- Ficus microcarpa Vahl
- Ficus neurocarpa Lebrun & Toussaint
- Ficus persicifolia Warb.
- Ficus petersii Warb.
- Ficus philipsii Burtt Davy & Hutch.
- Ficus psilopoga Ficalho
- Ficus pubicosta Warb.
- Ficus rhodesiaca Mildbr. & Burret
- Ficus ruficeps Warb.
- Ficus rupicola Lebrun & Toussaint
- Ficus sassandrensis A. Chev.
- Ficus schinziana Warb.
- Ficus spragueana A. Chev.
- Ficus thonningii var. heterophylla Peter
- Ficus trophyton Lebrun & Toussaint
- Urostigma burkei Miq.
- Urostigma dekdekena Miq.
- Urostigma thonningii (Blume) Miq.
- NB The ones marked in red are probably now restored to species in their own right.
Edible Portion
- Fruit, Leaves, Gum
Where does Common wild fig grow?
Found in: Africa, Angola, Australia, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo DR, Congo R, Djibouti, East Africa, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sahel, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Notes: There are about 800-1000 Ficus species. They are mostly in the tropics. There are 120 Ficus species in tropical America.
Status: The fruit are eaten raw especially by children. The fruit are popular. The leaves are commonly eaten in Senegal.
Growing Common wild fig, Strangler fig
Cultivation: It can be grown from seed or from cuttings. The fruit are dried and the seeds removed. As well the fruit can be soaked in cold water for a day then turned inside out to remove the seeds. Cuttings 15 cm long by 1 cm wide are suitable. It can also be grown from large branches 2-3 m long by 10 cm wide.
Edible Uses: The fig fruit are eaten raw. They are also used for jams and jellies and for alcoholic drinks. The leaves are eaten raw in salads.
Production: It is fast growing. Often fruit are infested with insects.
Nutrition Info
per 100g edible portion| Edible Part | Energy (kcal) | Protein (g) | Iron (mg) | Vitamin A (ug) | Vitamin c (mg) | Zinc (mg) | % Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit | 76 | 3 | 10 | - | - | - | 77.1 |
| Fruit | 50 | 1.3 | 1 | - | 2.6 | 0.3 | 77.9 |
Common wild fig, Strangler fig Photos
References
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