| 0 | DFIC 308 | wild fig | Ficus palmata Forssk. | Himachal Pradesh, India | | | Historic | 2006 | COLLECTED | 2004 | Mandi, Himachal Pradesh 175001 | | | | Wild material | Per Parmar (see citation): "Ficus palmata Forsk. is one of the tastiest fruits found growing wild in the mid-Himalayan region. It is on par with the cultivated figs in taste in flavour, however, size is rather small in this case. The wild fig plants are of very common occurence at places up to 1,550 metres above the sea level. These trees are rarely found in the forests, but grow around the villages, in wastelands, fields, etc. The fruits are liked very much by the people. They are also offered for sale. Morphology: A deciduous, moderate-sized tree, 6 to 10 metres in height; . . . Flowers, unisexual, cyclic, greenish white, very small; . . . Fruit, syconoid, developing from the hollow, globose, fleshy receptacle, average diameter 2.58 cm, weight, 6.08 g, volume, 5.94 ml, colour varying from deep violet to black; colour of the juice, tyran rose 24. Seeds, numerous, round and very small. The flowering and fruiting season: Flowering starts from March and continues up to the end of April. The fruiting season starts from the second fortnight of June and continues till the first half of July. Yield: A full grown wild fig-tree yields about 25 kg of ripe fruits during one season. . . . Medicinal properties: The fruits of Ficus palmata Forsk. contain chiefly sugars and mucilage and, accordingly, act as a demulcent and laxative. . . . Dessert quality: The whole fruit, along with the seeds, is edible." | 1710892 | DFIC 308 |