Ficus septica (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Ficus septica Burm.f.

Protologue: Fl. ind.: 226 (1768).

Synonyms

• Ficus hauili Blanco (1837),
• Ficus casearia F. v. Mueller ex Benth. (1873),
• Ficus kaukauensis Hayata (1918).

Vernacular names

• Indonesia: awar-awar (general), ki ciyat (Sundanese), tagalolo (Sulawesi, Ternate)
• Papua New Guinea: omia (Kurereda, Northern Province), manibwohebwahe (Wagawaga, Milne Bay), bahuerueru (Vanapa, Central Province)
• Philippines: hauili (Filipino), kauili (Tagalog), sio (Bikol).

Distribution

The Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan, throughout Malesia except for Peninsular Malaysia, the Solomon Islands to Vanuatu and northern Australia (Queensland).

Uses

In the Moluccas and New Guinea, the roots are chewed as an antidote, the latex of the leaves and fruits is used to produce purging, and the fruits are also emetic. In Papua New Guinea, the leaves are applied to cure colds, coughs, fever and fungal and bacterial diseases, whereas root scrapings or leaves have been mixed with water and drunk to cure dysentery or diarrhoea. The crushed root, mixed with coconut water, is drunk daily to treat urinary tract infections. In the Philippines, the leaves are applied for rheumatism and used as a sudorific to treat headache. The roots are used as a poultice in boils and a decoction is prescribed as diuretic. The latex is used to cure certain varieties of herpes, and wounds caused by poisonous fish. In Java, the dried leaves were formerly used as a substitute for opium or mixed with it.

Observations

• A small to medium-sized tree up to 25 m tall, bark surface pale grey or white.
• Leaves alternate or decussate, elliptical, ovate or oblong, 10-28 cm × 4-13.5 cm, base cordate to cuneate, apex acuminate, margin entire, with 6-12 pairs of lateral veins, glabrous, stipules 1-4 cm long.
• Figs axillary or cauliflorous, paired, obovoid to depressed subglobose, to 15 mm in diameter, ripening white to yellowish; male flowers with 1 stamen, female flowers with united tepals.

F. septica is found in secondary rain forest and scrub vegetation on various soil types, up to 1800 m altitude.

Selected sources

• [137] Baumgartner, B., Erdelmeier, C.A.J., Wright, A.D., Rali, T. & Sticher, O., 1990. An antimicrobial alkaloid from Ficus septica. Phytochemistry 29(10): 3327-3330.
• [140] Bell, J.M. & van Houten, A.S., 1993. The medicinal plants of Central Seram. In: Edwards, I.D., MacDonald, A.A. & Proctor, J. (Editors): The natural history of Seram. Intercept, Andover, United Kingdom. pp. 207-230.
• [202] Burkill, I.H., 1966. A dictionary of the economic products of the Malay Peninsula. Revised reprint. 2 volumes. Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol. 1 (A-H) pp. 1-1240. Vol. 2 (I-Z) pp. 1241-2444.
• [248] Chew, W.-L., 1989. Moraceae. In: George, A.S. (Editor): Flora of Australia. Vol. 3. Hamamelidales to Casuarinales. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, Australia. pp. 15-68.
• [281] Corner, E.J.H., 1965. Check-list of Ficus in Asia and Australia. Gardens' Bulletin, Singapore 21: 1-186.
• [430] Fox, R.B., 1952. The Pinatubo Negritos: their useful plants and material culture. Philippine Journal of Science 81(3-4): 173-391.
• [580] Heyne, K., 1950. De nuttige planten van Indonesië *[The useful plants of Indonesia]. 3rd Edition. 2 volumes. W. van Hoeve, 's-Gravenhage, the Netherlands/Bandung, Indonesia. 1660 + CCXLI pp.
• [597] Holdsworth, D.K., 1977. Medicinal plants of Papua New Guinea. Technical Paper No 175. South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 123 pp.
• [603] Holdsworth, D.K., 1992. Medicinal plants of the Gazelle Peninsula, New Britain Island, Papua New Guinea. Part I. International Journal of Pharmacognosy 30: 185-190.
• [604] Holdsworth, D.K., 1993. Medicinal plants of the Oro (Northern) Province of Papua New Guinea. International Journal of Pharmacognosy 31: 23-28.
• [606] Holdsworth, D.K., Gideon, O. & Pilokos, B., 1989. Traditional medicine of New Ireland, Papua New Guinea. Part III. Konos, Central New Ireland. International Journal of Crude Drug Research 27: 55-61.
• [856] Liao, J.-C., 1996. Moraceae. In: Huang, T.-C. (Editor): Flora of Taiwan. 2nd Edition. Vol. 2. Editorial Committee of the Flora of Taiwan, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China. pp. 136-195.
• [1178] Quisumbing, E., 1978. Medicinal plants of the Philippines. Katha Publishing Co., Quezon City, the Philippines. 1262 pp.

Main genus page

• Ficus (Medicinal plants)

Authors

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