Ficus sansibarica

Warb.

Large-fruited fig, Knobbly fig

Moraceae Edible: Fruit 211 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

The Ficus sansibarica, known as knobbly fig, is an African species of cauliflorous fig. It is named after Zanzibar, where Franz Stuhlmann discovered it in 1889. They often begin life as epiphytes, which assume a strangling habit as they develop. They regularly reach 10 m, but may grow up to 40 m tall as forest stranglers.

Description

A fig. It is a large tree. It grows to 24 m tall. The trunk is light grey and up to 3 m across. It can grow as a strangler from a tree branch and send down aerial roots. The leaves are smooth. They are 3-13 cm long and 3-8 cm wide. They are oblong or slightly narrow with a rounded base. There are 7-8 pairs of veins branching outwards and looping along the leaf edge. The leaves are on long leaf stalks. The fruit occur as one or two fruit high up on the spreading main branches. The fruit are 5 cm across. They have a two lobed opening at the end. They are green when young and turn red when ripe. The fruit are edible.

Edible Uses

The raw figs are used for food, and are locally believed to promote fertility. Stems are torn apart to obtain fibers for basket weaving. Locally it is also deemed sacred.

Traditional Uses

The fruit are eaten as a snack.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

The figs are sometimes eaten by women as a tonic to promote fertility.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows in low altitude forest.

Where It Grows

Africa, Angola, Central Africa, Congo, East Africa, Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Southern Africa, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

The tree can be grown from seed. The seeds are very fine and are best sown with fine sand. Seeds germinate after 15-30 days. Seedlings and young plants transplant easily. The wasp pollinator is Courtella armata (Wiebes).

Other Uses

The split stems are used for making baskets.

Production

It is fast growing. It grows about 1 m per year.

Other Information

The figs are occasionally eaten.

Notes

There are about 800-1000 Ficus species. They are mostly in the tropics. There are 120 Ficus species in tropical America.

Synonyms

Ficus brachylepis Welw. ex Hiern.Ficus chirindensis C. C. Berg. part onlyFicus delagoensis SimFicus gossweileri Hutch.

Also Known As

Angola fig, Engaboli, Knobbly fig, Knoppiesvy, Mahalavu, Mkuu, Mkuyu, Mpoloto, Mpondopondo, Mtulutulu, Mutambvu, Undola, Zanzibar fig

References (18)

Fowler, D. G., 2007, Zambian Plants: Their Vernacular Names and Uses. Kew. p 49
Fox, F. W. & Young, M. E. N., 1982, Food from the Veld. Delta Books. p 270
Long, C., 2005, Swaziland's Flora - siSwati names and Uses http://www.sntc.org.sz/flora/
Lovett, J. C. et al, Field Guide to the Moist Forest Trees of Tanzania. p 101
Magwede, K., van Wyk, B.-E., & van Wyk, A. E., 2019, An inventory of Vhavenḓa useful plants. South African Journal of Botany 122 (2019) 57–89

Show all 18 references

Ogle & Grivetti, 1985,
Palgrave, K.C., 1996, Trees of Southern Africa. Struik Publishers. p 114
Palmer, E and Pitman, N., 1972, Trees of Southern Africa. Vol. 1. A.A. Balkema, Cape Town p 451
Peters, C. R., O'Brien, E. M., and Drummond, R.B., 1992, Edible Wild plants of Sub-saharan Africa. Kew. p 150
Ruffo, C. K., Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B., 2002, Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania. RELMA p 330
Ruiters-Welcome, A. K., 2019, Food plants of southern Africa. Ph.D. thesis. Univ. of Johannesburg p 79
Schmidt, E., Lotter, M., & McCleland, W., 2007, Trees and shrubs of Mpumalanga and Kruger National Park. Jacana Media p 82
Swaziland's Flora Database http://www.sntc.org.sz/flora
van Wyk, B, van Wyk, P, and van Wyk B., 2000, Photographic guide to Trees of Southern Africa. Briza. p 156
Venter, F & J., 2009, Making the most of Indigenous Trees. Briza. p 168
Welcome, A. K. & Van Wyk, B.-E., 2019, An inventory and analysis of the food plants of southern Africa. South African Journal of Botany 122 (2019) 136–179
White, F., Dowsett-Lemaire, F. and Chapman, J. D., 2001, Evergreen Forest Flora of Malawi. Kew. p 387
www.figweb.org