Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Ficus pseudopalma
open-in-new
<p><i>Ficus pseudopalma</i> is a species of <a href="/facts/Ficus/70M2tmEB">fig</a>, (subgenus <i>Sycamorus</i>) in the mulberry family (<a href="/facts/Moraceae/nFn8SjK7">Moraceae</a>). It is known by the common names Philippine fig, dracaena fig, and palm-leaf fig. In nature it is <a href="/facts/Endemic/xt4IpIsl">endemic</a> to the <a href="/facts/Philippines/ARpmxXQV">Philippines</a>, especially the island of <a href="/facts/Luzon/dJNpzhEM">Luzon</a>. It is known elsewhere as an <a href="/facts/Ornamental_plant/ImyCDwMW">ornamental plant</a>. </p><p>This is a <a href="/facts/Shrub/X1gKVxL5">shrub</a> or rarely branching small tree growing erect with a naked unbranched mesocaul stem topped with a cluster of wavey-edged leaves to give it the appearance of a <a href="/facts/Arecaceae/5bN6Wwcr">palm</a>. Indeed, the species name <i>pseudopalma</i> means "false palm". The leaves are up to 30 -36 inches (75–90 cm) long with a yellow <a href="/facts/Midrib/RjjcIGWp">midrib</a> and edged with dull teeth. The edges of the leaf are elevated above the midrib, forming a sort of trough. The fruit is a dark green fig that grows in pairs, each fruit just over an inch long. </p><p>In Luzon, this plant occurs in <a href="/facts/Grassland/T4P1kqT0">grassland</a> and forest habitat, where it is considered common. The new shoots of the plant are eaten as a type of <a href="/facts/Vegetable/j3AlDG64">vegetable</a>, and there are a number of <a href="/facts/Herbalism/aFHY8zCD">traditional medicinal uses</a>, such as a remedy for <a href="/facts/Kidney_stone/8EowkGyr">kidney stones</a> made from the leaves. In <a href="/facts/Bicol_Region/jzXSosFH">Bicol Region</a> the plant is known as <i>Lubi-lubi</i> and the leaves are cooked in <a href="/facts/Coconut_milk/vULl8f87">coconut milk</a>. In 2003 the leaves were sold in markets for US$0.74 per kilogram, and the plant can be grown in <a href="/facts/Plantation/jucwoWpV">plantations</a> without <a href="/facts/Pesticide/Uhf4KnwJ">pesticides</a> for an adequate profit. </p><p>This shrub has been used as a <a href="/facts/Landscaping/qVjbPTmT">landscaping</a> plant in <a href="/facts/Hawaii/ImxFefeK">Hawaii</a>, but it never escaped cultivation or became established in the wild because the species of <a href="/facts/Wasp/pbJjDyjr">wasp</a> that <a href="/facts/Pollinator/DBJNeDtv">pollinates</a> it was never brought to the islands. </p> Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ficus pseudopalma.