Ficus pseudopalma is a species of fig in the Mulberry Family (Moraceae).[1] It is known by the common names Philippine fig, dracaena fig, and palm-leaf fig.[2] In nature it is endemic to the Philippines, especially the island of Luzon.[2] It is known elsewhere as an ornamental plant.
Ficus pseudopalma | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Rosales |
Family: | Moraceae |
Genus: | Ficus |
Subgenus: | F. subg. Sycomorus |
Species: | F. pseudopalma
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Binomial name | |
Ficus pseudopalma | |
Synonyms[1] | |
Ficus blancoi Elmer |
This is a shrub growing erect with a naked unbranched mesocaul stem topped with a cluster of leaves to give it the appearance of a palm.[3] Indeed, the species name pseudopalma means "false palm".[4] The leaves are up to 30 -36 inches (75–90 cm) long[5] with a yellow midrib and edged with dull teeth. The fruit is a dark green fig that grows in pairs, each fruit just over an inch long.[3]
In Luzon, this plant occurs in grassland and forest habitat, where it is considered common.[6] The new shoots of the plant are eaten as a type of vegetable, and there are a number of traditional medicinal uses, such as a remedy for kidney stones made from the leaves.[7] In Bicol Region the plant is known as Lubi-lubi and the leaves are cooked in coconut milk.[4] In 2003 the leaves were sold in markets for US$0.74 per kilogram, and the plant can be grown in plantations without pesticides for an adequate profit.[4]
This shrub has been used as a landscaping plant in Hawaii, but it never escaped cultivation or became established in the wild because the species of wasp that pollinates it was never brought to the islands.[3]