Ficus pseudopalma
| Ficus pseudopalma | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Moraceae |
| Genus: | Ficus |
| Subgenus: | F. subg. Sycomorus |
| Species: | F. pseudopalma |
| Binomial name | |
| Ficus pseudopalma | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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Ficus pseudopalma is a species of fig, (subgenus Sycamorus) in the mulberry family (Moraceae).[2] It is known by the common names Philippine fig, dracaena fig, and palm-leaf fig.[3] In nature it is endemic to the Philippines, especially the island of Luzon.[3] It is known elsewhere as an ornamental plant.
This is a shrub or rarely branching small tree growing erect with a naked unbranched mesocaul stem topped with a cluster of wavey-edged leaves to give it the appearance of a palm.[4] Indeed, the species name pseudopalma means "false palm".[5] The leaves are 75–100 cm (30–40 in) long and up to 15 cm (6 in) wide,[6][7] with a yellow midrib and edged with dull teeth. The edges of the leaf are elevated above the midrib, forming a sort of trough.[8] The fruit is a dark green fig that grows in pairs, each measuring 2.5 cm (1 in).[6]
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In Luzon, this plant occurs in grassland and forest habitat, where it is considered common.[9] The new shoots of the plant are eaten as a type of vegetable, and there are a number of traditional medicinal uses, such as a remedy for kidney stones made from the leaves.[10] In Bicol Region the plant is known as Lubi-lubi and the leaves are cooked in coconut milk.[5] In 2003 the leaves were sold in markets for US$0.74 per kilogram, and the plant can be grown in plantations without pesticides for an adequate profit.[5]
This shrub has been used as a landscaping plant in Hawaii, but it never escaped cultivation or became established in the wild because the species of wasp that pollinates it was never brought to the islands.[4]
References
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- ↑ Energy Development Corporation (EDC) . (2025). "Ficus pseudopalma". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2025 e.T153866829A153890090. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-2.RLTS.T153866829A153890090.en. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
- 1 2 "Ficus pseudopalma Blanco". Plants of the World Online. The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. n.d. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
- 1 2 "Ficus pseudopalma". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
- 1 2 Starr, F., et al. (2003). Ficus pseudopalma Fact Sheet. Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk.
- 1 2 3 Food & Fertilizer Technology Center. (2003). Fruit and vegetables from the tropical forest. Archived 2011-07-24 at the Wayback Machine FFTC Practical Technology.
- 1 2 "Ficus pseudopalma: Care, Breeding and Replanting". Ficusplant. 2020-09-20. Retrieved 2025-07-05.
- ↑ Graf, Alfred Byrd (1981). Tropica. East Rutherford, N.J.: Roehrs Company. pp. 1006 & 661.
- ↑ Hogan, Sean (2004). Flora - The Gardener's Bible. Willoughby, New South Wales: Global Book Pub. Pty. Ltd. p. 603 with photo. ISBN 1-74048-097-X.
- ↑ Villegas, K. L. and F. A. Pollisco Jr. (2008). Floral survey of Laiban sub-watershed in the Sierra Madre Mountain Range in the Philippines. Archived 2012-03-07 at the Wayback Machine Journal of Tropical Biology and Conservation 4(1) 1-14.
- ↑ Ragasa, C. Y., et al. (2009). Terpenoids and sterols from the endemic and endangered Philippine trees Ficus pseudopalma and Ficus ulmifolia. Archived 2012-03-19 at the Wayback Machine Philippine Journal of Science 138(2) 205.
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