Ficus

views updated

Ficus (figs; family Moraceae) A big genus of trees, stranglers, root-climbers, and epiphytes which produce watery latex. The leaves usually have conspicuous stipules enveloping the bud. The flowers are minute, unisexual, and inserted on a concave receptacle forming a closed sphere. They are pollinated by specialized wasps. Many are cauliflorous. The fruits are tiny drupes enclosed in a receptacle, which is often brightly coloured and is eaten by many birds and mammals, which disperse the seeds. The receptacle of F. carica is the fig eaten by humans. F. religiosa is the pipal-tree or bodh-tree. There are about 800 species, most of which are tropical.

More From encyclopedia.com