Ficus yoponenisis
Family:
Native to:
Habitat:
Moraceae
Central and southern Central America, northern South America.
Fields, forest margins, along roads, in disturbed soils. 0-1810 meters above sea level. 35 meter tall tree.
Ecological value:
Source of vitamin C for Spider Monkeys. Bats and certain species of ants eat the leaves and fruits. Decomposed leaves create food and habitat for wildlife. Fig trees rely on a specialized species of wasp for pollination. Produces three types of flowers.
Material uses:
Wood is used for fence posts. Contains a milky latex which, from other species, has been used to create an adobe cement.
Edible uses:
Fig fruits. Ficus spp are keystone species in tropical ecosystems and is a food source to a myriad of wildlife.
Medicinal use:
Latex treats worms and diarrhea.
Other details:
The female lays her eggs in the short female flower whilst pollinating the longer, female flower. The wingless male wasps emerge, inseminating the emerging females before boring exit tunnels for the winged females who then, in the act of exiting, collect pollen from the male flower.
Research:
Marian Farrell/Christine Facella
Sources:
“Ficus Yoponensis Desv. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science.” n.d. Plants of the World Online. Accessed November 8, 2023. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:853989-1.
“Ficus Yoponensis - Useful Tropical Plants.” n.d. Tropical.theferns.info. https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Ficus+yoponensis.
Image source: Alfredo Dorantes Euan.