Taxon:  Ficus sycomorus L.



Summary
Genus:
Ficus
Section:
Sycomorus
Family:
Moraceae
Tribe:
Ficeae
Nomen number:
17000
Place of publication:
Sp. pl. 2:1059.  1753
Verified:
03/06/2003 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
14 (2  active, 2  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Autonym(s)
Ficus sycomorus L. subsp. sycomorus

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Ficus cocculifolia Baker
Ficus gnaphalocarpa (Miq.) A. Rich.
Ficus sycomorus L. subsp. gnaphalocarpa (Miq.) C. C. Berg
Ficus trachyphylla (Miq.) Miq.
Sycomorus gnaphalocarpa Miq.
Sycomorus trachyphylla Miq.

No images


Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
  2. Arechavaleta, M. et al., eds. 2005. Lista preliminar de especies silvestres de Cabo Verde: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
  3. Arnold, T. H. & B. C. De Wet, eds. 1993. Plants of southern Africa: names and distribution. Mem. Bot. Surv. S. Africa no. 62
  4. Aubréville, A. et al., eds. 1963-. Flore du Cameroun.
  5. Berg, C. C. 1986. The Ficus species (Moraceae) of Madagascar and the Comoro Islands. Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat., B, Adansonia 8:24-25.
  6. Berg, C. C. 1989. Moraceae. In: Turrill, W. B. et al., eds., Flora of tropical East Africa. 54, 56.
  7. Berg, C. C. 1990. Annotated check-list of the Ficus species of the African floristic region, with special reference and a key to the taxa of southern Africa. Kirkia 13:256.
  8. Boulos, L. 1999-. Flora of Egypt
  9. Condit, I. J. 1969. Ficus: the exotic species. 173.
  10. Erhardt, W. et al. 2002. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 17. Auflage
  11. Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
  12. Ferrer-Gallego, P. P. & F. Boisset. 2017. Typification of the name of the Afrotropical sycomore fig Ficus sycomorus (Moraceae), and nomenclatural remarks on its synonyms. Taxon 66:432-440.
  13. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
  14. Greuning, J. V. van. 1990. A synopsis of the genus Ficus (Moraceae) in southern Africa. S. African J. Bot. 56:602-604.
  15. Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
  16. Hedberg, I. & S. Edwards. 1989-. Flora of Ethiopia Note: Eritrea added in 2000
  17. Keay, R. W. J. 1989. Trees of Nigeria 291. Note: = Ficus sycamorus var. gnaphalocarpa
  18. Krüssmann, G. 1984. Manual of cultivated broad-leaved trees and shrubs (English translation of Handbuch der Laubgehölze. 1976)
  19. Kunkel, G. 1984. Plants for human consumption
  20. Mabberley, D. J. 1997. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants, ed. 2
  21. Miller, A. G. & T. A. Cope. 1996-. Flora of the Arabian Peninsula and Socotra.
  22. Personal Care Products Council. International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient
  23. Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
  24. Proffit, M. & S. D. Johnson. 2009. Specificity of the signal emitted by figs to attract their pollinating wasps: Comparison of volatile organic compounds emitted by receptive syconia of Ficus sur and F. sycomorus in Southern Africa. S. African J. Bot. 75:771-777. DOI: 10.1016/j.sajb.2009.08.006.
  25. Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
  26. Uphof, J. C. T. 1968. Dictionary of economic plants, ed. 2.
  27. Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. 1966-. Flora palaestina.
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishmulberry fig  1Mabberley, D. J. 1997. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants, ed. 2
Englishpharoah fig  1Erhardt, W. et al. 2002. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 17. Auflage
Englishsycamore fig  1Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Englishsycomore  1Condit, I. J. 1969. Ficus: the exotic species. 173.
Arabicgemmeiz  2Boulos, L. 1999-. Flora of Egypt
Frenchfiguier d'Adam  2Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
Frenchfiguier d'Egypte  2Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
Frenchfiguier sycomore  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
GermanEselsfeige  2Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
GermanSykomore  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanishhiguera loca  2Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
Spanishsicomoro  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Swedishsykomorfikon  2Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaKenya  Berg, C. C. 1989. Moraceae. In: Turrill, W. B. et al., eds., Flora of tropical East Africa. 54, 56.
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaTanzania  Berg, C. C. 1989. Moraceae. In: Turrill, W. B. et al., eds., Flora of tropical East Africa. 54, 56.
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaUganda  Berg, C. C. 1989. Moraceae. In: Turrill, W. B. et al., eds., Flora of tropical East Africa. 54, 56.
1NativeAfricaMacaronesiaCabo Verde  Arechavaleta, M. et al., eds. 2005. Lista preliminar de especies silvestres de Cabo Verde: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaEthiopia  Hedberg, I. & S. Edwards. 1989-. Flora of Ethiopia Note: Eritrea added in 2000
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaEgypt   
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaAngola   
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaMalawi  Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaMozambique  Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaZambia  Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaZimbabwe  Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaBotswana n.Arnold, T. H. & B. C. De Wet, eds. 1993. Plants of southern Africa: names and distribution. Mem. Bot. Surv. S. Africa no. 62
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaEswatini  Arnold, T. H. & B. C. De Wet, eds. 1993. Plants of southern Africa: names and distribution. Mem. Bot. Surv. S. Africa no. 62
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaNamibia  Arnold, T. H. & B. C. De Wet, eds. 1993. Plants of southern Africa: names and distribution. Mem. Bot. Surv. S. Africa no. 62
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth AfricaKwaZulu-Natal Arnold, T. H. & B. C. De Wet, eds. 1993. Plants of southern Africa: names and distribution. Mem. Bot. Surv. S. Africa no. 62
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth AfricaTransvaal Arnold, T. H. & B. C. De Wet, eds. 1993. Plants of southern Africa: names and distribution. Mem. Bot. Surv. S. Africa no. 62
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaBenin   
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaCôte D'Ivoire   
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaGambia   
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaGhana   
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaGuinea-Bissau   
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaMali   
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaNigeria   
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaSenegal   
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaCameroon  Aubréville, A. et al., eds. 1963-. Flore du Cameroun.
1NativeAfricaWestern Indian OceanMadagascar   
1NativeAsia-TemperateArabian PeninsulaOman   
1NativeAsia-TemperateArabian PeninsulaSaudi Arabia w. & s. 
1NativeAsia-TemperateArabian PeninsulaYemen   
2Cultivated    also cult. 
Native
Africa
  • MACARONESIA: Cabo Verde
  • NORTHERN AFRICA: Egypt
  • NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Ethiopia
  • EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
  • WEST-CENTRAL TROPICAL AFRICA: Cameroon
  • WEST TROPICAL AFRICA: Benin, Côte D'Ivoire, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal
  • SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA: Angola, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe
  • SOUTHERN AFRICA: Botswana (n.), Namibia, Eswatini, South Africa [KwaZulu-Natal, Transvaal]
  • WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN: Madagascar
Asia-Temperate
  • ARABIAN PENINSULA: Oman, Saudi Arabia (w. & s.), Yemen
Cultivated (also cult.)

Reference(s)
  1. Arechavaleta, M. et al., eds. 2005. Lista preliminar de especies silvestres de Cabo Verde: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
  2. Arnold, T. H. & B. C. De Wet, eds. 1993. Plants of southern Africa: names and distribution. Mem. Bot. Surv. S. Africa no. 62
  3. Aubréville, A. et al., eds. 1963-. Flore du Cameroun.
  4. Berg, C. C. 1989. Moraceae. In: Turrill, W. B. et al., eds., Flora of tropical East Africa. 54, 56.
  5. Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
  6. Hedberg, I. & S. Edwards. 1989-. Flora of Ethiopia Note: Eritrea added in 2000
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Environmentalornamental Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
Environmentalornamental Krüssmann, G. 1984. Manual of cultivated broad-leaved trees and shrubs (English translation of Handbuch der Laubgehölze. 1976)
Human foodfruit Kunkel, G. 1984. Plants for human consumption
Human foodfruit Uphof, J. C. T. 1968. Dictionary of economic plants, ed. 2.
Materialswood Keay, R. W. J. 1989. Trees of Nigeria 291. Note: = Ficus sycamorus var. gnaphalocarpa
Materialswood Uphof, J. C. T. 1968. Dictionary of economic plants, ed. 2.
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=17000. Accessed 12 May 2026.