Ficus nota (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Ficus nota (Blanco) Merr.

Family: Moraceae

Vernacular names

• Philippines: tibig (Tagalog), labai (Isinai), kik-kik (Ibanag).

Distribution

Malaysia (Sabah), the Philippines.

Uses

The soft and fleshy fruits are eaten raw, sometimes with sugar and cream. The stem contains drinkable water.

Observations

• Erect tree, 4-8 m tall, with prominent protuberances on trunk and larger branches where inflorescences are borne.
• Leaves oblong to obovate, 15-35 cm long.
• Fruit a fig, subglobose, 2-4 cm in diameter, glabrous, yellowish.

Common in the Philippines in thickets and forests at low and medium altitudes.

Selected sources

• Brown, W.H., 1951-1957. Useful plants of the Philippines. Reprint of the 1941-1943 ed. 3 Volumes. Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Technical Bulletin 10. Bureau of Printing, Manila, the Philippines.

• Corner, E.J.H., 1965. Check-list of Ficus in Asia and Australasia with keys to identification. The Gardens' Bulletin Singapore 21: 1-186.

• FAO, 1984. Food and fruit-bearing forest species 2: examples from Southeastern Asia. FAO Forestry paper 44/2, Rome. 167 pp.

• Merrill, E.D., 1923-1925. An enumeration of Philippine flowering plants. 4 Volumes. Government of the Philippine Islands, Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Bureau of Printing, Manila.

Authors

P.C.M. Jansen, J. Jukema, L.P.A. Oyen, T.G. van Lingen