Medicinal Plants of Namibia | Page 25

Plant:!Ficus&sycomorus&
Family:!Moraceae9!!
!
Common(names:((
|Nomas22,!47!!
Ghukuyu47!!
Geelstamvy22!!
Muchaba22!!
Omukuiju22!!
Omukuju22!!
Omukuu22!!
Omukuyu22,!47!!
Omukwiyu22,!35,!47!!
Sycamore!Fig22!!
Sykomore22,!47!!
Ukuzu22,!47!!
Waterbergfeige22!!
Wild!fig35,!47!!
Wildevy35,!47!!
!
Range:((
With!the!exception!of!the!Caprivi!Strip,!specimens!of!F.&sycomorus!are!concentrated!
in!the!west!and!north!although!it!does!not!occur!past!the!25°S!line13.!!Ficus&
sycomorous’s!habitat!is!also!terrestrial!and!tends!to!be!in!habitats!like!hill!slopes!and!
plains!but!mostly!along!riverbanks13.!!
!
Diagnostic(characteristics:!
This!tree,!like!the!baobab,!grows!to!an!
astounding!size!with!trunk!diameter!
up!to!2!m13!!!Buttressing!of!the!trunk!
is!common13.!!Yellow!bark!tends!to!be!
smooth!with!the!exception!of!grey!
blotches!that!drop!off!with!
weathering13.!!Rough!dark!green!
leaves!that!are!80!mm!long!cultivate!
on!F.&sycomorus,!often!having!striking!
venation!on!its!heartSshaped!leaves13.!!
The!semiSdeciduous!F.&sycomorus!
produces!new!leaves!from!September!
to!February13.!!The!tree!can!grow!
more!than!8!m!high13.!!True!to!one!of!
its!common!names,!yellow!figs!
propagate!on!F.&sycomorus!measuring!
13.!!Figs!usually!have!