Ficus erecta

Ficus erecta
Fruit
1823 illustration by Yūshi Ishizaki
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Moraceae
Genus:	Ficus
Species:	F. erecta
Binomial name
Ficus erecta Thunb.
Synonyms [2]
List Ficus beecheyanaHook. & Arn. Ficus beecheyana f. koshunensis(Hayata) Sata Ficus cornifoliaKunth & C.D.Bouché Ficus erecta var. beecheyana(Hook. & Arn.) King Ficus erecta f. koshunensis(Hayata) Corner Ficus erecta f. sieboldii(Miq.) Corner Ficus erecta var. sieboldii(Miq.) King Ficus erecta var. yamadoriiMakino ex Ohwi Ficus japonicaBlume Ficus koshunensisHayata Ficus maruyamensisHayata Ficus pseudopyriformisH.Lév. & Vaniot Ficus pumilaThunb. Ficus sieboldiiMiq. Ficus taquetiiH.Lév. & Vaniot Ficus tenaxBlume

Ficus erecta (syn. Ficus beecheyana), the Japanese fig, is a species of flowering plant in the family Moraceae. ^[3] It is found in the eastern Himalayas, Assam, Bangladesh, Vietnam, southern China, Taiwan, Jeju Island of South Korea, the Ryukyu Islands, and Japan. ^[2] A deciduous (or semideciduous) shrub or small tree from 2 to 7 m (7 to 23 ft) in height, it is found alongside streams. ^[4] Said to be dioecious, it has small fruit that are 1.0 to 2.5 cm (0.4 to 1.0 in) in diameter, and quite sweet. ^{[4] [5]} It is pollinated by the fig wasp Blastophaga nipponica .^{[ citation needed ]}

Uses

The fruit is eaten by local people. Its bark fibre can be used to make paper, and it is occasionally planted as an ornamental tree. ^{[4] [5]} It is highly resistant to Ceratocystis fimbriata , which causes Ceratocystis canker in the common fig Ficus carica , so its genome has been sequenced to aid in the breeding of resistant strains of F. carica. ^[6]

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  Leaf surface
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  Close up of bud
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  Ripening fruit
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  Trunk
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  Branches
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  Jōmon period basket made from Ficus erecta about 8,000 years ago

References

1. Shao, Q.; Zhao, L.; Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI).; IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group. (2019). "Ficus erecta". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019 e.T147493365A147621042. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T147493365A147621042.en . Retrieved 13 March 2023.
2. "Ficus erecta Thunb". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 13 March 2023.
3. "Japanese Fig, Inu-biwa – Ficus erecta". Dave's Garden. MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
4. "矮小天仙果 ai xiao tian xian guo". Flora of China. efloras.org. 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
5. Fern, Ken (20 July 2022). "Useful Tropical Plants – Ficus erecta Thunb. Moraceae". tropical.theferns.info. Tropical Plants Database. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
6. Shirasawa, Kenta; Yakushiji, Hiroshi; Nishimura, Ryotaro; Morita, Takeshige; Jikumaru, Shota; Ikegami, Hidetoshi; Toyoda, Atsushi; Hirakawa, Hideki; Isobe, Sachiko (2020). "The Ficus erecta genome aids Ceratocystis canker resistance breeding in common fig (F. carica)". The Plant Journal. 102 (6): 1313–1322. doi:10.1111/tpj.14703. PMC   7317799 . PMID   31978270. S2CID   210890154.