Ficus sycomorus Linn.
| Botanical Name | Ficus sycomorus Linn. |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Moraceae |
| Genus: | Ficus |
| Species: | F. sycomorus |
| Common Names: | sycamore fig, fig-mulberry, sycamore |
Plant Synonyms
Ficus gnaphalocarpa
Plant Local Names
Hausa Name: Opoto
Plant Habitat
Savannah, often by the streams in the drier areas. It is widespread in the drier parts of tropical Africa; locally abundant.
Plant Material of Interest
Leaves
Plant Description
Trees up to 18m high and sometimes reaching 6m in girth, with widely spread branches and massive crown. Bark grey, fairly smooth but often falking off in patches and pale brown beneath; slash pink with copious white latex. Leaves 0.025- 0.15m long by 0.025- 0.075m broad, ovate, broadly elliptic or nearly circular; rounded or blunt at the apex; rough above but usually not scarbrid beneath but closely finely hairy; nerves and veins very prominent beneath and paler than the rest of the leaf; leaf- stalk stout, 0.0125- 0.025m long.
Fruits (December- March) singly in each leaf- axil and down the young shoots; figs about 0.0375m across, densely and shortly hairy, with stout- finely hair stalks and bracts across the mouth (Keay, et. al., 1964).
Plant Used Parts
Plant Uses
i. The leaves are used to treat snake bites and jaundice.
ii. The latex is said to be effective for chest disease, colds and dysentery.
iii. In the literature, numerous other medicinal applications are mentioned including bark as remedy to treat cough, throat infections and chest pains.
Plant Therapeutic Action
Plant Precaution for Use
Plant Adverse Effect
Plant Contraindication
Plant Dosage Forms
Plant Dosage
Plant Storage
Plant Chromatographic Fingerprint
Plant Constituents
Plant Pictures
