Biology:Ficus palmata
| Ficus palmata | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Moraceae |
| Genus: | Ficus |
| Subgenus: | F. subg. Ficus |
| Species: | F. palmata
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| Binomial name | |
| Ficus palmata | |
| Subspecies[2] | |
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| Synonyms[3][4] | |
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synonyms of subsp. palmata:
synonyms of subsp. virgata:
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Ficus palmata, commonly known as Punjab fig[5] or "Bedu", is a species of flowering plant in the family Moraceae. It is a shrub or tree native to southern Egypt to north-eastern tropical Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, and southeastern Iran to Afghanistan, Pakistan, northern India, and Nepal.[2] It has edible fruit.
Description
Ficus palmata grows as a shrub[2] or tree,[6] growing up to 10 metres (30 ft) tall. The fruits, which turn purplish on maturing, measure up to 2 cm (1 in) long. The flowers are greenish white.[6]
Taxonomy
It was first published by Peter Forsskål in Fl. Aegypt.-Arab. on page 179 in 1775.[2]
It is also known as the Wild Himalayan fig.[7]
Subspecies
There are 2 known subspecies:[2]
- Ficus palmata subsp. palmata – southeastern Egypt to northeastern tropical Africa and the Arabian Peninsula[3]
- Ficus palmata subsp. virgata Browicz – Sinai to northwestern Saudi Arabia, and southeastern Iran to Nepal[4]
Distribution and habitat
Ficus palmata is native to north-eastern Africa from southeastern Egypt south to Somalia, to the Sinai, southern Levant, and Arabian Peninsula, and from southeastern Iran to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and northern India to Nepal.[2]
It grows in tropical and subtropical desert and dry shrubland from 1,000–2,400 m (3,000–8,000 ft) elevation,[1] including near villages in the Himalayas.[6]
Uses
In the Himalayan region, its fruit is widely sold and consumed.[6] The whole fruit, including the seeds are edible. The fruits are used in folk medicine to treat inflammation, pathogenic bacterial ailments and be used as an analgesic (Shi et al. 2014).[8]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Rivers, M.C. (2022). "Ficus palmata" (in en). IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T19218688A47600805.en. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/19218688/47600805. Retrieved 6 September 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 "Ficus palmata Forssk." (in en). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/taxon/853358-1.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Ficus palmata subsp. palmata" (in en). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/taxon/77230787-1.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Ficus palmata subsp. virgata Browicz" (in en). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/taxon/920945-1.
- ↑ "Ficus palmata". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=FIPA2.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 "Ficus palmata". Parmar, C. and Kaushal, M. K. 1982. Wild Fruits. Kalyani Publishers, New Delhi, India.. http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/parmar/08.html.
- ↑ Bachheti, Archana; Deepti; Bachheti, Rakesh Kumar; Singh, Anjita; Zebeaman, Meseret; Hunde, Yilma; Husen, Azamal (2023). "Bioactive constituents and health promoting compounds of underutilized fruits of the northern Himalayas of India: a review". Food Production, Processing and Nutrition 5 (24). doi:10.1186/s43014-023-00140-5.
- ↑ Shi, Y.; Hu, H.; Xu, Y.; Liu, A. (2014). "An ethnobotanical study of the less known wild edible figs (genus Ficus) native to Xishuangbanna, Southwest China.". Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 10 (1): 68. doi:10.1186/1746-4269-10-68. PMID 25252723.
Wikidata ☰ Q3744533 entry
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