Ficus insipida
Moraceae FAMILY

Ficus insipida

Ficus insipida

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
3/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Ficus insipida is usually a medium to large-sized, evergreen tree with an open, spreading crown; it can grow from 12 - 40 metres tall[ 331 Title Flora of Guatemala Publication Author Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark Website http://www.archive.org/ Publisher Year 1946 - 1976 ISBN Description A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/ ]. The bole is moderately straight, cylindrical, slightly compressed; it sometimes branches from low down but can also sometimes be unbranched for most of the tree's height; it can be 45 - 70cm in diameter[ 331 Title Flora of Guatemala Publication Author Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark Website http://www.archive.org/ Publisher Year 1946 - 1976 ISBN Description A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/ , 419 Title Brazilian Trees. Volume 1. 4th Edition. Publication Author Lorenzi. H. Publisher Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora; Brazil. Year 2002 ISBN 85-86714-17-8 Description Information on 350 species of Brazilian trees. Stunning photographs of each species, brief details on the plant, its uses and how to grow it from seed. A superb work, with the minor irritation that the translation from Portuguese is not of the best. ]. The tree often has large surface roots[ 453 Title Woods of Northeastern Peru Publication Author Williams L. Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ Publisher Field Museum Press; Chicago. Year 1936 ISBN Description Gives information on the properties of the wood of well over 1,000 species of woody plants from northeastern Peru. Can be downloaded from the Internet. ]. The plants greatest value for people is probably its latex, which is used as an anthelmintic and has sometimes been exported[ 331 Title Flora of Guatemala Publication Author Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark Website http://www.archive.org/ Publisher Year 1946 - 1976 ISBN Description A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/ ]. The plant is sometimes grown in home gardens as a supply of this latex[ 317 Title Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants Publication Author Website http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Terse details of a huge range of useful plants. ]. Its edible fruit is sometimes gathered from the wild for local use, whilst it is also used for craftwork[ 331 Title Flora of Guatemala Publication Author Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark Website http://www.archive.org/ Publisher Year 1946 - 1976 ISBN Description A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/ ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical
Native RangeS. America - Peru and Brazil, north through Ecuador and Central America to Mexico.
HabitatForest or open fields or hillsides, often along roadsides, frequently near habitations, usually at low elevations, but ranging from sea level to elevations of about 1,400 metres[ 331 Title Flora of Guatemala Publication Author Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark Website http://www.archive.org/ Publisher Year 1946 - 1976 ISBN Description A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/ ]. Found in wet evergreen and seasonally dry deciduous forest[ 369 Title Flora of Costa Rica Publication Author Standley P.C. Website http://www.archive.org/ Publisher Field Museum of Natural History; Chicago Year 1938 ISBN Description Rather dated, but an excellent treatment of the area. Available for download from the internet. ].