''Ficus neriifolia'' is a species of fig (''Ficus''). It is native to Asia, including

Bhutan Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in South Asia, in the Eastern Himalayas between China to the north and northwest and India to the south and southeast. With a population of over 727,145 and a territory of , ...

Burma Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, and

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

.''Ficus neriifolia''.
Flora of China.

Description

''Ficus neriifolia'' grows as a tree up to 15 m (50 ft) tall with smooth, dark grey bark on its trunk. The hairless, leathery oval to lanceolate (spear-shaped) leaves are up to long by wide, and often asymmetrical in shape. The diameter figs are rounded, oval, or cylindrical and grow in pairs off older branches.

Taxonomy

James Edward Smith described ''Ficus neriifolia'' in 1810. In 1965, E.H.Corner regarded the species as having three valid varieties : ''F. neriifolia'' var. ''nemoralis'', ''F. neriifolia'' var. ''fieldingii'' and ''F. neriifolia'' var. ''trilepis''. However, Wu and colleagues did not treat them as distinct in 2003. Chaudhary and colleagues observed that the receptacles are distinct and hence further investigation is needed.

Distribution and habitat

''Ficus neriifolia'' is found in

Mêdog County Mêdog (; zh, s=墨脱县), formerly known as Pemako ( "Lotus Array"), is a county of Nyingchi in the Tibet Autonomous Region, China. Pemako is considered famous because it is the Nyingma master Dudjom Rinpoche's birthplace, and it is a proph ...

in southern

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...

and western

Yunnan Yunnan; is an inland Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 47.2 million (as of 2020). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the Chinese provinces ...

province in China, as well as Bhutan, Myanmar, central and western Nepal, northeastern India including

Sikkim Sikkim ( ; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Koshi Province of Nepal in the west, and West Bengal in the ...

, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Uttar Pradesh. It grows in forests of both coniferous and broadleaved trees at elevations of above sea level in China, and above sea level in India.

Ecology

The figs and leaves are eaten by the endangered

black crested gibbon The black crested gibbon (''Nomascus concolor'') is a Critically Endangered species of gibbon found in China, Laos, and northern Vietnam, with four subspecies. Taxonomy The taxonomy of the species is confused. Previously grouped in the gen ...

(''Nomascus concolor'') in Yunnan province, particularly between May and September where it is the most commonly eaten plant species. It is also an important food item of the eastern hoolock gibbon (''Hoolock leuconedys'')

Uses

The foliage of ''Ficus neriifolia'' is used as fodder and its wood used as fuel in Nepal. The juice of the stem bark is used as a folk remedy for

conjunctivitis Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye or Madras eye, is inflammation of the conjunctiva, the thin, clear layer that covers the white surface of the eye and the inner eyelid. It makes the eye appear pink or reddish. Pain, burning, scratchiness ...

and boils This fig tree is considered good for

indoor bonsai Indoor bonsai are bonsai cultivated for the indoor environment. Traditionally, bonsai are temperate climate trees grown outdoors in containers. Tropical and sub-tropical tree species can be cultivated to grow and thrive indoors, with some suited ...

in temperate climates, and it is easily shaped and pruned.Derderian, C. T.
Subtropical Bonsai for Indoor Gardening.
' Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University. 1976.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1031578 neriifolia Flora of the Indian subcontinent Trees of Myanmar Trees of China Plants used in bonsai Plants described in 1810