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''Ficus virens'' is a plant of the genus ''
It is a medium-sized tree which grows to a height of In dry areas and up to tall in wetter areas. It is a fig tree belonging to the group of trees known as strangler figs, which is because its seeds can germinate on other trees and grow to strangle and eventually kill the host tree.
It has two marked growth periods in its Indian environment: in spring (February to early May), and in the time of the monsoon rains (i.e. June to early September). The new leaves are a beautiful shade of reddish pink and very pleasing to the eye.
This is a very massive tree in which the size of the crown can sometimes exceed the height of the tree.
Galamarrma, The Tree of Knowledge, Darwin, Australia - Exceptional Trees on Waymarking.com
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2717818 Epiphytes virens Flora of tropical Asia Rosales of Australia Rosids of Western Australia Flora of the Northern Territory Flora of Queensland Flora of New South Wales
Ficus
''Ficus'' ( or ) is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes and hemiepiphytes in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extendi ...
'' found in Pakistan, India, southeast Asia, through Malaysia and into Northern Australia. Its common name is white fig; it is locally known as ''pilkhan'' and in the Kunwinjku language
Kunwinjku is a dialect of Bininj Kunwok, an Australian Aboriginal language. The Aboriginal people who speak Kunwinjku are the Bininj people, who live primarily in western Arnhem Land
Arnhem Land is a historical region of the Northern Territ ...
it is called ''manbornde''. Like many figs, its fruits are edible. One of the most famous specimens of this tree is the Curtain Fig Tree
Curtain Fig Tree is a heritage-listed tree at Curtain Fig Tree Road, Yungaburra, Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia. It is one of the largest trees in Tropical North Queensland, Australia, and one of the best known attractions on the ...
of the Atherton Tableland
The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia.
The principal river flowing across the plateau is the Barron River. It was dammed to form an irrigation reservoir named Lake Tinar ...
, near Cairns, a popular tourist attraction. Another famous example is the Tree of Knowledge in Darwin.
''Ficus virens'' var. ''sublanceolata'' occurs the subtropical rainforest of northeastern New South Wales
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, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
, and south eastern Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, establishe ...
in Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
.
Description
It is a medium-sized tree which grows to a height of In dry areas and up to tall in wetter areas. It is a fig tree belonging to the group of trees known as strangler figs, which is because its seeds can germinate on other trees and grow to strangle and eventually kill the host tree.
It has two marked growth periods in its Indian environment: in spring (February to early May), and in the time of the monsoon rains (i.e. June to early September). The new leaves are a beautiful shade of reddish pink and very pleasing to the eye.
This is a very massive tree in which the size of the crown can sometimes exceed the height of the tree.
Use as food
The leaves are known inThai cuisine
Thai cuisine ( th, อาหารไทย, , ) is the national cuisine of Thailand.
Thai cooking places emphasis on lightly prepared dishes with strong aromatic components and a spicy edge. Australian chef David Thompson, an expert on Thai ...
as ''phak lueat'' ( th, ผักเลือด). They are eaten boiled as a vegetable in Northern Thai
Kam Mueang ( nod, , กำเมือง) or Northern Thai language ( th, ภาษาไทยถิ่นเหนือ) is the language of the Northern Thai people of Lanna, Thailand. It is a Southwestern Tai language that is closely rela ...
curries, referred to in the Northern dialect as ''phak hueat'' (ผักเฮือด).
References
External links
*Galamarrma, The Tree of Knowledge, Darwin, Australia - Exceptional Trees on Waymarking.com
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2717818 Epiphytes virens Flora of tropical Asia Rosales of Australia Rosids of Western Australia Flora of the Northern Territory Flora of Queensland Flora of New South Wales