Ficus vogeliana

Ficus vogeliana
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Moraceae
Genus:	Ficus
Species:	F. vogeliana
Binomial name
	Ficus vogeliana; (Miq.) Miq.

Ficus vogeliana is a fig species within the family Moraceae which bears flagelliform infructescences^[1] (also called stolon-panicles), found at or just beneath the surface of the soil. When the figs (syconia) are subsurface it is unclear how pollination is accomplished. Its outer bark tends to be greyish, while the slash (cut bark) is reddish.^[2]

Description

Ficus vogeliana is a medium to large sized tree that reaches 20 m in height with buttressed roots. The leaves arranged in spirals, with persistent stipules that can reach up to 2 cm long, petioles present and can be up to 5 cm long and 3 mm in thickness; the upper surface of the leaves is scabrous.^[3] The leaf blade tends to be elliptical to oblong, up to 22 cm long and 11 cm wide with an acuminate apex and a cordate base. Figs usually borne on branches at the base of the trunk.^[3]

Distribution and habitat

It occurs in Liberia, West Africa extending eastwards to the Central African Republic and southwards to Angola,^[3] and is commonly found in seasonally flooded environments, swamp and evergreen forests.

Uses

The trunk of the tree is used as raw materials for canoe making in Sierra Leone while its woods is useful for carpentry work.

A decoction of bark extracts is used in traditional medecine among the Fang of Gabon who drank it as an emetic, another decoction is also used in the treatment of stomach cancer, while a leaf decoction is used in Gabon to induce vomiting.^[4]

References

^ Berg, C.C.; Wiebes, J.T. (1992). African Fig Trees and Fig Wasps. Amsterdam: Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen. pp. 14–15.
^ Louppe, Dominique, ed. (2008). Plant resources of tropical Africa. 7,1: Timbers: 1 / ed.: D. Louppe; A. A. Oteng-Amoako. General ed.: R. H. M. J. Lemmens. Weikersheim: Margraf. ISBN 978-90-5782-209-4.
^ ^a ^b ^c Berg, C. C.; Human, M. E. E.; Weerenburg, J. C. A. (1984). Moracées (incl. Cecropiacées). Flore du Gabon. Paris: Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle. ISBN 978-2-85654-171-5.
^ Ngoua Meye Misso, Rick-Léonid; Nsole Biteghe, Fleury Augustin; Obiang, Cédric Sima; Ondo, Joseph-Privat; Gao, Nan; Cervantes-Cervantes, Miguel; Vignaux, Guillaume; Vergeade, Aurelia; Engohang-Ndong, Jean; Mendene, Hugue Ella; Mabika, Barthelemy; Abessolo, Félix Ovono; Obame Engonga, Louis-Clement; De La Croix Ndong, Jean (2020-12-05). "Effect of aqueous extracts of Ficus vogeliana Miq and Tieghemella africana Pierre in 7,12-Dimethylbenz(a)anthracene -induced skin cancer in rats". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 263: 113244. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2020.113244. ISSN 0378-8741.

[1] Berg, C.C.; Wiebes, J.T. (1992). African Fig Trees and Fig Wasps. Amsterdam: Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen. pp. 14–15.

[2] Louppe, Dominique, ed. (2008). Plant resources of tropical Africa. 7,1: Timbers: 1 / ed.: D. Louppe; A. A. Oteng-Amoako. General ed.: R. H. M. J. Lemmens. Weikersheim: Margraf. ISBN 978-90-5782-209-4.

[:0-3] Berg, C. C.; Human, M. E. E.; Weerenburg, J. C. A. (1984). Moracées (incl. Cecropiacées). Flore du Gabon. Paris: Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle. ISBN 978-2-85654-171-5.

[4] Ngoua Meye Misso, Rick-Léonid; Nsole Biteghe, Fleury Augustin; Obiang, Cédric Sima; Ondo, Joseph-Privat; Gao, Nan; Cervantes-Cervantes, Miguel; Vignaux, Guillaume; Vergeade, Aurelia; Engohang-Ndong, Jean; Mendene, Hugue Ella; Mabika, Barthelemy; Abessolo, Félix Ovono; Obame Engonga, Louis-Clement; De La Croix Ndong, Jean (2020-12-05). "Effect of aqueous extracts of Ficus vogeliana Miq and Tieghemella africana Pierre in 7,12-Dimethylbenz(a)anthracene -induced skin cancer in rats". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 263: 113244. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2020.113244. ISSN 0378-8741.

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