Punjab Fig

This is a highly variable and common wild fig occurring in N.W. Hills up to 2500 m on hot dry slopes in clay-loam soils in Baluchistan, Punjab and North Western Frontier Province and Kashmir. Two subspecies are recoginzed. The type subspecies from E. Africa and Saudi Arabia has more elongate, distinctly acute or acuminate leaves with slight pubescence. Our material belongs to ssp. virgata (Roxb.) Borwicz (l.c. 12) with virgate shoots, leaves longer than broad and densely pubescent beneath. It is sometimes confused with F. carica. It is also cultivated for its edible fruits which are demulcent and laxative end are used in diseases of lungs and the bladder.

A large deciduous shrub or small tree, up to 10 m tall. Truck and branches. without aerial roots, bark smooth, brownish-grey, young twigs densely hairy. Leaves with 1.5-6 (-7) cm long, softly tomentose petiole; basins ± membranous, broadly ovate to suborbicular or orbicular, (2-) 2.5-12.5 (-14.3) cm long. and broad, 3-5 (-6)-costate at the cuneate to rotundate or truncate to ± cordate base, mostly undivided or sometimes palmately 3-S: partite, dentate to ± serrate, acute or ± obtuse, upper surface scabrid, soft hairy on lower side to glabrate,. lateral nerves 3-5 (-6) pairs, raised below, intercostals parallel to zigzag; stipules ovate, 6-10 mm long, acute. Hypanthodia solitary or sometimes paired, axillary, on c. 1-2.5 an long, tomentose peduncles, subglobose to pear-shaped, 12-20 mm in diam., tomentose, subtended by 3, deltoid, acute basal bracts, apical orifice umbonate. Male flowers: numerous in the upper half, pedicellate; sepals 4-5, free, lanceolate, hairy; stamens 3-6. Female flowers: basal, numerous; sepals 5, basally united, hairy; ovary ovoid with subterminal, long hairy style. Figs constricted or gradually narrowed at base, 1.5-2.5 cm long, yellow or purple, hairy.

N.E. Africa, Arabia, Afghanistan, N. Pakistan, Himalaya (Kashmir to Nepal).

Distribution: Nepal, N. & N.W. India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Arabian Peninsula, Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia and S. Egypt.

600-2300 m

Fl. & Fr. Per.: May-November.

Ficus palmata, the Punjab fig, or "Bedu" is a plant in the family Moraceae.