Ficus nasuta (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Ficus nasuta Summerh.

Protologue: Hooker's Icon. Pl.: t. 3189 (1933).

Distribution

New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

Uses

In Papua New Guinea, the bark latex is drunk by patients with asthma or other respiratory problems. Leaves eaten with salt are believed to increase the fertility of women.

Observations

• A large climber.
• Leaves arranged spirally, ovate to suborbicular, 8-15 cm × 6-13.5 cm, base cordate to rounded, apex shortly acuminate, margin entire, with 4-5(-6) pairs of lateral veins, main veins appressed hairy below.
• Figs axillary, depressed globose to subpyriform, to 35 mm in diameter, minutely brown velutinate, ripening dingy purple; flowers sessile.

F. nasuta is locally common in lowland to montane forest, up to 1600 m altitude.

Selected sources

• [281] Corner, E.J.H., 1965. Check-list of Ficus in Asia and Australia. Gardens' Bulletin, Singapore 21: 1-186.
• [609] Holdsworth, D.K. & Mahana, P., 1983. Traditional medicinal plants of the Huon Peninsula, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. International Journal of Crude Drug Research 21: 121-133.
• [611] Holdsworth, D.K. & Sakulas, H., 1986. Medicinal plants of the Morobe Province. Part II. The Aseki Valley. International Journal of Crude Drug Research 24: 31-40.

Main genus page

• Ficus (Medicinal plants)

Authors

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