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12(1): Medicinal and poisonous plants 1

Ficus hispida L.f.

This article should be read together with the article on the genus: Ficus in the Handbook volume indicated above in this database.

Suppl. pl.: 442 (1781).

Ficus letaqui Lév. & Van. (1910), Ficus poilanei Gagnep. (1927).

Rough-leaved stem fig (En). Indonesia: bisoro (Sundanese), luwing (Javanese), mongmong (Sumatra). Malaysia: ara bumbing, ara sinigai, ara seniah (Peninsular). Laos: dua¹ pong¹. Thailand: duea plong (northern, central, peninsular), duea pong (Bangkok), maduea plong (central). Vietnam: ng[as]i.

From Sri Lanka and India to Indo-China, southern China, Thailand, the Andaman Islands, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Sulawesi, the Lesser Sunda Islands, New Guinea and northern Australia (Queensland).

The immature fruits are considered tonic, galactagogue and emetic. The latex of the leaves is taken internally to treat fever, diarrhoea and to relieve painful urination; the latex of the bark is regarded as an emetic. An extract of the bark is used in the treatment of jaundice, leprosy and anaemia. Boiled leaves are used to poultice boils and ulceration of the nose. The fruits are also eaten in curries, but are, however, likely to cause giddiness. Ripe fruits are made into a jam. The bark yields a rough fibre. The leaves may be used as fodder for cattle. Large cuttings have been used to establish live fences.

An evergreen, small tree up to 15 m tall, bark smooth, grey; leaves often decussate, asymmetrical, pentagonal to oblong, 10-35 cm x 4-20 cm, base subcordate to broadly cuneate, apex acuminate, margin crenulate, with 5-10 pairs of veins and prominent reticulation below, hispid, stipules 1-2.5 cm long; figs on long twigs hanging from the trunk and main branches, obovoid, 25-40 mm in diameter, densely brown pubescent, pale or greenish-yellow when ripe; male flowers in 1-2 rows, with 1 stamen, female flowers sessile or stipitate. Ficus hispida is common in secondary lowland forest in per-humid to monsoon climates.

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J.P. Rojo, F.C. Pitargue & M.S.M. Sosef

Rojo, J.P., Pitargue, F.C. & Sosef, M.S.M., 1999. Ficus hispida L.f.. In: de Padua, L.S., Bunyapraphatsara, N. and Lemmens, R.H.M.J. (Editors): Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 12(1): Medicinal and poisonous plants 1. PROSEA Foundation, Bogor, Indonesia. Database record: prota4u.org/prosea