Ficus forstenii (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Ficus forstenii Miq.

Family: Moraceae

Synonyms

Ficus palawanensis Merr.

Vernacular names

• Palawan balete (En)
• Philippines: agamid (Igorot, Ilokano), balete (Manobo, Tagalog), okob (Bagobo).

Distribution

Peninsular Malaysia (Perak), Borneo, Sulawesi and the Philippines (including Palawan).

Uses

The strong, durable and tough bast fibre is made into very strong rope. It is used for traps for wild hogs.

Observations

A large, monoecious, strangling fig. Leaves alternate; stipules lanceolate, about 1.5 cm long, caducous; petiole 2-2.5 cm long; blade oblong, up to 21 cm × 11 cm, base rounded or subcordate, apex acute, glabrous, with 8-10 pairs of lateral veins. Fruit a sessile syconium, occurring in pairs, ovoid, about 1.5 cm in diameter, with persistent basal bracts, red. F. forstenii is found throughout its range in low-altitude forest. In Philippine studies in the 1910s, dry and wet rope made from the bast of F. forstenii had an elongation at break of 11-12% and 18-19%, respectively. Tensile strength measurements showed a very wide variation.

Selected sources

19, 28, 93, 161, 194.

Authors

M. Brink, P.C.M. Jansen & C.H. Bosch