Ficus sylvia

Ficus ( or ) 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. Many Ficus species are grown for their fruits, though only two species, the common fig (F. carica) and sycamore fig (F. sycomorus), are cultivated to any extent, with common fig being the type species and by far the most important. 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.

Description

Ficus is a pantropical genus of trees, shrubs, and vines occupying a wide variety of ecological niches; most are evergreen, but some deciduous species grow outside the tropics or at higher elevations. Individual species vary greatly. For example, the Indian banyan (F. benghalensis), with its extensive adventitious roots, can cover over a hectare (2.5 acres), while F. nana of New Guinea never exceeds one meter (forty inches) in height and width.

Fig species are characterized by their unique syconium, an urn-shaped inflorescence that encloses numerous tiny flowers. These flowers develop into multiple ovaries on the inner surface, so the fig “fruit” is essentially a fleshy stem containing many small, coalescing flowers. Pollination is highly specialized, relying on wasps of the family Agaonidae.