Ficus benjamina

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Ficus benjamina
Starr-080608-7576-Ficus benjamina-habit with Laysan albatross-Gym Sand Island-Midway Atoll (24823189861).jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Moraceae
Tribe: Ficeae
Genus: Ficus
Subgenus: F. subg. Urostigma
Species:
F. benjamina
Binomial name
Ficus benjamina
L. 1767 [2]
Ficus benjamina distribution.jpg
Range of the species Ficus benjamina.
Synonyms [2]
Synonymy
  • Ficus benjamina var. bracteataCorner
  • Ficus benjamina var comosa(Roxb.) Kurz
  • Ficus benjamina subsp. comosa(Roxb.) Panigrahi & Murti
  • Ficus benjamina var. comosaKing
  • Ficus benjamina var. haematocarpa(Blume ex Decne.) Miq.
  • Ficus benjamina var. nuda(Miq.) M.F.Barrett
  • Ficus benjamina f. warringianaM.F.Barrett
  • Ficus comosaRoxb.
  • Ficus cuspidatocaudataHayata
  • Ficus dictyophyllaWall. [Invalid]
  • Ficus haematocarpaBlume ex Decne.
  • Ficus lucida Aiton
  • Ficus neglectaDecne.
  • Ficus nepalensisBlanco
  • Ficus nitidaThunb.
  • Ficus notoborBuch.-Ham. ex Wall. [Invalid]
  • Ficus nuda(Miq.) Miq.
  • Ficus papyriferaGriff.
  • Ficus parvifoliaOken
  • Ficus pendula Link
  • Ficus pyrifoliaSalisb. [Illegitimate]
  • Ficus reclinataDesf.
  • Ficus retusa var. nitida(Thunb.) Miq.
  • Ficus striataRoth
  • Ficus umbrinaElmer
  • Ficus xavieriMerr.
  • Urostigma benjaminum var. nudumMiq.
  • Urostigma neglectumMiq. Unresolved
  • Urostigma nudumMiq.

Ficus benjamina, commonly known as weeping fig, benjamin fig [3] or ficus tree, and often sold in stores as just ficus, is a species of flowering plant in the family Moraceae, native to Asia and Australia. [4] It is the official tree of Bangkok. The species is also naturalized in the West Indies and in the states of Florida and Arizona in the United States. [5] [6] Its small fruit are favored by some birds. [7] Ficus tree has shown to have environmental benefits in urban areas like being a biomonitor. The plant also has allergens associated with it.

Contents

Description

Ficus benjamina is a tree reaching 30 m (98 feet) tall in natural conditions, with gracefully drooping branchlets and glossy leaves 6–13 cm (2+385+18 inches), oval with an acuminate tip. The bark is light gray and smooth. The bark of young branches is brownish. The widely spread, highly branching tree top often covers a diameter of 10 metres (33 ft). It is a relatively small-leaved fig. The changeable leaves are simple, entire and stalked. The petiole is 1 to 2.5 cm (38 to 1 inch) long. The young foliage is light green and slightly wavy, the older leaves are green and smooth; the leaf blade is ovate to ovate-lanceolate with wedge-shaped to broadly rounded base and ends with a short dropper tip. The pale glossy to dull leaf blade is 5 to 12 cm (2 to 4+12 inches) cm long and 2 to 6 cm (1 to 2+12 inches) wide. Near the leaf margins are yellow crystal cells ("cystolites"). The two membranous, deciduous stipules are not fused, lanceolate and 6 to 12 mm (14 to 12 inch) (rarely to 15 mm or 916 inch) long. [8]

F. benjamina is monoecious. The inflorescences are spherical to egg-shaped, shiny green, and have a diameter of 1.5 cm (12 inch). In the inflorescences are three types of flowers: male and fertile and sterile female flowers. The scattered, inflorescences, stalked, male flowers have free sepals and a stamen. Many fertile female flowers are sessile and have three or four sepals and an egg-shaped ovary. The more or less lateral style ends in an enlarged scar.[ citation needed ] Pollination of F. benjamina only occurs with a specific type of wasp that live symbiotically together. [9]

The ripe figs (collective fruit) are orange-red and have a diameter of 2.0 to 2.5 cm (34 to 1 inch).[ citation needed ]

The tree is treated as an ornamental bush and indoor plant in many places. But it is one of the best shade trees. It can grow to enormous size. Its capability of carbon sequestration is also good.[ citation needed ] [10]

Cultivation

In tropical, subtropical and warm temperate latitudes, the weeping fig makes a very large and stately tree for parks and other urban situations, such as wide roads. It is often cultivated for this purpose, such as in Bourbong Street Weeping Figs in Bundaberg, where it is heritage listed.

F. benjamina is a very popular houseplant in temperate areas because of its elegant growth and tolerance of poor growing conditions; it does best in bright, sunny conditions, but it also tolerates considerable shade. It requires a moderate amount of watering in summer and only enough to keep it from drying out in the winter. Longer days, rather high daytime and moderate night-time temperatures constitute favorable conditions for appreciable growth in a short time. It does not need to be misted. The plant is sensitive to cold and should be protected from strong drafts. When grown indoors, it can grow too large for its location and may need drastic pruning or replacing. F. benjamina has been shown to effectively remove gaseous formaldehyde from indoor air. [11] F.benjamina also helps eliminate heavy metals most commonly in urban areas. [12] The plant has been used as a biomonitor in New Mexico. [13]

Figs tend to be consumed dried. [14] The fruit is edible, but the plant is not usually grown for its fruit. The leaves have been known to have pharmaceutical benefits like anti-oxidant. [10] The leaves are very sensitive to small changes in light. When it is turned around or relocated, it reacts by dropping many of its leaves and replacing them with new leaves adapted to the new light intensity. The plant is also sensitive to changes in other environmental factors such as temperature, humidity and relocation (citation needed).

Used as decorative plant in gardens in Hyderabad, India Weeping Fig (Ficus benjamina) in Hyderabad, AP W IMG 7645.jpg
Used as decorative plant in gardens in Hyderabad, India

Cultivars

Numerous cultivars are available (e.g. 'Danielle', 'Naomi', 'Exotica', and 'Golden King'). Some cultivars include different patterns of colouration on the leaves, ranging from light green to dark green, and various forms of white variegation. In cultivation in the UK, this plant [15] and the variegated cultivar 'Starlight' [16] have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. [17] The miniature cultivars, especially 'Too Little', are among the most popular plants for indoor bonsai.

Destructive roots and hurricane propensity

The United States Forest Service states, "Roots grow rapidly, invading gardens, growing under and lifting sidewalks, patios, and driveways." They conclude that its use in tree form is too large for residential planting, therefore, the species should only be used as a hedge or clipped screen. [18]

These trees are also considered a high risk for succumbing to storm gale winds in hurricane-prone South Florida. [19] As a consequence, in many jurisdictions in South Florida, no permit is needed for removal of these trees. [20] The South Florida Water District recommends removing them safely and promptly. [21]

Allergic reactions

The plant is a major source of indoor allergens, ranking as the third-most common cause of indoor allergies after dust and pets. [22] Common allergy symptoms include rhinoconjunctivitis and allergic asthma. Ficus plants can be of particular concern to latex allergy sufferers because of the latex in the plants and should not be kept in the environment of latex allergy sufferers. [22] In extreme cases, Ficus sap exposure can cause anaphylactic shock in latex allergy sufferers. The consumption of parts of plants leads to nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Exceptions are the edible fruits.[ citation needed ]

Allergy to Ficus plants develops over time and from exposure. The allergy was first observed in occupational settings amongst workers who regularly handled the plants. A study of workers at four plant-leasing firms showed that 27% of the workers had developed antibodies in response to exposure to the plants. [23]

Related Research Articles

<i>Ficus</i> Genus of flowering plants in the mulberry family Moraceae

Ficus is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes and hemiepiphytes in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending into the semi-warm temperate zone. The common fig (F. carica) is a temperate species native to southwest Asia and the Mediterranean region, which has been widely cultivated from ancient times for its fruit, also referred to as figs. The fruit of most other species are also edible though they are usually of only local economic importance or eaten as bushfood. However, they are extremely important food resources for wildlife. Figs are also of considerable cultural importance throughout the tropics, both as objects of worship and for their many practical uses.

<i>Cercis canadensis</i> Species of tree

Cercis canadensis, the eastern redbud, is a large deciduous shrub or small tree, native to eastern North America from southern Michigan south to central Mexico, west to New Mexico. Species thrive as far west as California and as far north as southern Ontario. It is the state tree of Oklahoma. The prevalence of the so-called "Columbus strain" has seen the residents of Columbus, Wisconsin, embrace the plant in their city's identity. Known as the "Redbud City," the town hosts "Redbud Day" annually the Saturday before Mother's Day, organizing a variety of themed events to recognize the tree.

<i>Ficus macrophylla</i> Species of banyan tree

Ficus macrophylla, commonly known as the Moreton Bay fig or Australian banyan, is a large evergreen banyan tree of the Mulberry Family (Moraceae) native to eastern Australia, from the Wide Bay–Burnett region in the north to the Illawarra in New South Wales, as well as Lord Howe Island where the subspecies F. m. columnaris is a banyan form covering 2.5 acres or more of ground. Its common name is derived from Moreton Bay in Queensland, Australia. It is best known for its imposing buttress roots.

<i>Ficus rubiginosa</i> Species of flowering plant

Ficus rubiginosa, the rusty fig or Port Jackson fig, is a species of flowering plant native to eastern Australia in the genus Ficus. Beginning as a seedling that grows on other plants (hemiepiphyte) or rocks (lithophyte), F. rubiginosa matures into a tree 30 m (100 ft) high and nearly as wide with a yellow-brown buttressed trunk. The leaves are oval and glossy green and measure from 4 to 19.3 cm long and 1.25 to 13.2 cm wide.

<i>Ficus microcarpa</i> Species of fig

Ficus microcarpa, also known as Chinese banyan, small-fruited fig, Malayan banyan, Indian laurel, or curtain fig, is a species of banyan tree in the family Moraceae. Its native range is from India to China and Japan, through Southeast Asia and the western Pacific to the state of Queensland in Australia, and it has been introduced to parts of the Americas and the Mediterranean. It was first described in 1782, and is a culturally significant plant in a number of Asian countries.

<i>Ficus elastica</i> Species of banyan tree

Ficus elastica, the rubber fig, rubber bush, rubber tree, rubber plant, or Indian rubber bush, Indian rubber tree, is a species of flowering plant in the family Moraceae, native to eastern parts of South and Southeast Asia. It has become naturalized in Sri Lanka, the West Indies, and the US state of Florida. Despite its common names, it is not used in the commercial production of natural rubber.

<i>Lansium domesticum</i> Species of tree

Lansium domesticum, commonly known as langsat or lanzon is a species of tree in the family Meliaceae with commercially cultivated edible fruits. The species is native to Southeast Asia, from peninsular Thailand and Malaysia to Indonesia and the Philippines.

<i>Ficus tinctoria</i> Species of fig

Ficus tinctoria, also known as dye fig, or humped fig is a hemiepiphytic tree of genus Ficus. It is also one of the species known as strangler fig.

<i>Ficus lyrata</i> Species of flowering plant in the fig and mulberry family Moraceae

Ficus lyrata, commonly known as the fiddle-leaf fig, banjo fig, fiddle-leaved fig tree, lyre leaf fig tree, or lyre-leaved fig tree, is a species of plant in the mulberry and fig family Moraceae. It is native to western Africa, but is cultivated around the world as an ornamental plant. It has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

<i>Ficus pumila</i> Species of climbing fig

Ficus pumila, commonly known as the creeping fig or climbing fig, is a species of flowering plant in the mulberry family, native to East Asia and naturalized in parts of the southeastern and south-central United States. It is also found in cultivation as a houseplant. The Latin specific epithet pumila means "dwarf", and refers to the very small leaves of the plant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indoor bonsai</span> Miniature tree cultivated indoors

Indoor bonsai are bonsai cultivated for the indoor environment. Traditionally, bonsai are temperate climate trees grown outdoors in containers. Tropical and sub-tropical tree species can be cultivated to grow and thrive indoors, with some suited to bonsai aesthetics shaped as traditional outdoor or wild bonsai.

<i>Ficus aurea</i> Species of strangler fig

Ficus aurea, commonly known as the Florida strangler fig, golden fig, or higuerón, is a tree in the family Moraceae that is native to the U.S. state of Florida, the northern and western Caribbean, southern Mexico and Central America south to Panama. The specific epithet aurea was applied by English botanist Thomas Nuttall who described the species in 1846.

<i>Ficus dammaropsis</i> Species of tropical fig

Ficus dammaropsis, the Highland breadfruit, locally called kapiak in Tok Pisin, is a tropical dioecious evergreen fig tree (subgenus Sycamorus, of the Mulberry Family with huge pleated leaves 60 cm across and up to 90 cm in length. on petioles as much as thirteen inches long and 1 in thick. These emerge from a stipular sheath up to fourteen inches long, the largest of any dicot. It is native to the highlands and highland fringe of New Guinea. It generally grows at altitudes of between 850 and 2,750 metres. Its fruit, the world's largest figs, up to six inches in diameter, are edible but rarely eaten except as an emergency food. There are two fruit colour variants in Ficus dammaropsis, red and green, as illustrated by the photos here. They are pollinated by the tiny fig wasp Ceratosolen abnormis. The young leaves are pickled or cooked and eaten as a vegetable with pig meat by highlanders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Latex</span> Stable dispersion of polymer microparticles in an aqueous medium

Latex is an emulsion of polymer microparticles in water. Latices are found in nature, but synthetic latices are common as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fig</span> Species of flowering plant known as the common fig

The fig is the edible fruit of Ficus carica, a species of small shrub in the flowering plant family Moraceae, native to the Mediterranean region, together with western and southern Asia. It has been cultivated since ancient times and is now widely grown throughout the world. Ficus carica is the type species of the genus Ficus, containing over 800 tropical and subtropical plant species.

<i>Acer palmatum</i> Species of maple

Acer palmatum, commonly known as Japanese maple, palmate maple, or smooth Japanese maple (Korean: danpungnamu, 단풍나무, Japanese: irohamomiji, イロハモミジ, or momiji,, is a species of woody plant native to Korea, Japan, China, eastern Mongolia, and southeast Russia. Many different cultivars of this maple have been selected and they are grown worldwide for their large variety of attractive forms, leaf shapes, and spectacular colors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balete tree</span> Several species of Filipino Ficus trees

The balete tree are several species of trees in the Philippines from the genus Ficus, which are generally referred to as balete in Filipino.

<i>Ficus sur</i> Species of fig

Ficus sur, with the common names Cape fig and broom cluster fig, is a widespread Afrotropical species of cauliflorous fig.

Ira Judson Condit (1883–1981) was an American horticulturist who studied subtropical fruits, including the fig, the olive, and the avocado.

Bluggoe, Orinoco, Musa'Orinoco', or burro is a cultivar of banana.

References

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21.