''Ficus neriifolia'' is a species of

fig The fig is the edible fruit of ''Ficus carica'', a species of small tree in the flowering plant family Moraceae. Native to the Mediterranean and western Asia, it has been cultivated since ancient times and is now widely grown throughout the world ...

(''Ficus''). It is native to Asia, including

Bhutan Bhutan (; dz, འབྲུག་ཡུལ་, Druk Yul ), officially the Kingdom of Bhutan,), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is situated in the Eastern Himalayas, between China in the north and India in the south. A mountainou ...

Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...

, China,

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, and

Nepal Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...

.''Ficus neriifolia''.
Flora of China.

Description

''Ficus neriifolia'' grows as a tree up to 15 m (50 ft) tall with smooth, dark grey bark on its trunk. The hairless, leathery oval to lanceolate (spear-shaped) leaves are up to long by wide, and often asymmetrical in shape. The diameter figs are rounded, oval, or cylindrical and grow in pairs off older branches.

Taxonomy

James Edward Smith James Edward Smith may refer to: * James Edward Smith (botanist), English botanist and founder of the Linnean Society * James Edward Smith (murderer), American murderer * James Edward Smith (politician), Canadian businessman and mayor of Toronto * ...

described ''Ficus neriifolia'' in 1810. In 1965, E.H.Corner regarded the species as having three valid varieties : ''F. neriifolia'' var. ''nemoralis'', ''F. neriifolia'' var. ''fieldingii'' and ''F. neriifolia'' var. ''trilepis''. However, Wu and colleagues did not treat them as distinct in 2003. Chaudhary and colleagues observed that the receptacles are distinct and hence further investigation is needed.

Distribution and habitat

''Ficus neriifolia'' is found in

Mêdog County Mêdog, or Metok, or Motuo County (; ), also known as Pemako ( meaning "Lotus Array", ), is a county as well as a traditional region of the prefecture-level city of Nyingchi in the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China (PRC ...

in southern

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa, Taman ...

and western

Yunnan Yunnan , () is a landlocked province in the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the C ...

province in China, as well as Bhutan, Myanmar, central and western Nepal, northeastern India including

Sikkim Sikkim (; ) is a state in Northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Province No. 1 of Nepal in the west and West Bengal in the south. Sikkim is also close to the Silig ...

, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Uttar Pradesh. It grows in forests of both coniferous and broadleaved trees at elevations of above sea level in China, and above sea level in India.

Ecology

The figs and leaves are eaten by the endangered

black crested gibbon The black crested gibbon (''Nomascus concolor'') is a Critically Endangered species of gibbon found in China, Laos, and northern Vietnam, with four subspecies. Taxonomy The taxonomy of the species is confused. Previously grouped in the ...

(''Nomascus concolor'') in Yunnan province, particularly between May and September where it is the most commonly eaten plant species. It is also an important food item of the

eastern hoolock gibbon The eastern hoolock gibbon (''Hoolock leuconedys'') is a primate from the gibbon family, Hylobatidae. It is one of three species of hoolock gibbon. This species is found in east of the Chindwin River, such as the Mahamyaing Wildlife Sanctuary, a ...

(''Hoolock leuconedys'')

Uses

The foliage of ''Ficus neriifolia'' is used as fodder and its wood used as fuel in Nepal. The juice of the stem bark is used as a folk remedy for

conjunctivitis Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye, is inflammation of the outermost layer of the white part of the eye and the inner surface of the eyelid. It makes the eye appear pink or reddish. Pain, burning, scratchiness, or itchiness may occur. The ...

and boils This fig tree is considered good for indoor bonsai in temperate climates, and it is easily shaped and pruned.Derderian, C. T.
Subtropical Bonsai for Indoor Gardening.
' Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University. 1976.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1031578 neriifolia Flora of the Indian subcontinent Trees of Myanmar Trees of China Plants used in bonsai Plants described in 1810