Red-leaved rock fig

A tropical plant. They usually grow on dry rocky soils. It is often on rocky slopes in cracks in the rocks. In Zimbabwe they grow between 300 and 1450 m altitude but are mostly at lower altitudes. They grow where the rainfall is below 100 mm. It can grow with annual rainfall between 100-1,300 mm. It is drought resistant. It grows between sea level and 2,100 m above sea level. It grows in the Sahel.

Also known as:

Bithu, Dharef, Idotsi, Inkhokhokho, Inkimane, Inkiwane, Ja-Ja, Kazu, Kunkwiya, Kwece-kwece, Laze, Lugo, Makiwani, Monogani, Mooma, Msombe, mu-Karenju, Mulumba, Mushavhi, Mutsamvi, Nkuwa, N'tonbozi, Ndebela, Ndola, Oduru, Qilinxo, Rooiblaavy, Shirinya, Tinaita, Tinayta, Tshikululu, Umkhonswane, Umthombe

Synonyms

Ficus lutea Vahl.

Ficus kawuri Hutch.

Urostigma ingens Miq.

Ficus katagumica Hutch.

Edible Portion

Leaves, Fruit, Vegetable

Where does Red-leaved rock fig grow?

Found in: Africa, Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, Rwanda, Sahel, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, West Africa, Yemen, 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 especially eaten by children.

Growing Red-leaved rock fig

Cultivation: Plants can be grown from seed or cuttings. Fruit should be collected before they drop and the seeds removed. The seeds are small and need to be sown with fine sand. Seeds germinate in 15-30 days. Cuttings can be of softwood or hardwood. They root easily. The wasp pollinator is Platyscapa soraria Wiebes.

Edible Uses: The figs are eaten raw. The young leaves are cooked as a vegetable.

Production: Young seedlings grow slowly.

Nutrition Info

per 100g edible portion

Edible Part	Energy (kcal)	Protein (g)	Iron (mg)	Vitamin A (ug)	Vitamin c (mg)	Zinc (mg)	% Water
Fruit	61	1.6	2	-	7.6	0.8	75.2

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