Ficus racemosa L.
| Kannada Name : | Atthi mara |
| Common Name : | Cluster fig |
| Family Name : | Moraceae |
| Scientific Name : | Ficus racemosa |
| Species Type : | Exotic |
| Phenology : | Deciduous |
| Conservation Status : | Least concern |
| Flowering Period : | January - April |
| Fruiting Period : | March - July |
| Origin : | Australia, Tropical Asia |
Uses
The bark is rubbed on a stone with water to make a paste, which can be applied to boils or mosquito bites. The rough leaves of the plant can also be used to remove caterpillar bristles lodged in skin. A common folk remedy is to rub the affected area lightly with a leaf, which effectively dislodges the stinging hairs.
Description
Evergreen to occasionally deciduous trees, 25‐30 m tall. Bark grayish brown, smooth. Branchlets, young leaf blades, and figs with bent hairs or densely covered with white soft pubescence. Branchlets brown. Leaves simple, alternate, elliptic-obovate, elliptic, or narrowly elliptic, abaxially pale green, pubescent when young, glabrescent, adaxially dark green and glabrous, base cuneate to obtuse, apex acuminate to obtuse, margin entire. Figs in a tumorlike aggregate on short branchlets of old stem, occasionally axillary on leafy shoot or on older leafless branchlets, paired, reddish orange when mature, pear-shaped. involucral bracts triangular-ovate. Male, gall, and female flowers within same fig. Male flowers: near apical pore, sessile; calyx lobes 3 or 4; stamens 2. Gall and female flowers: pedicellate; calyx lobes linear, apex 3 or 4 toothed; style lateral; stigma clavate.
