It is a large deciduous tree with few or no aerial roots. It is often epiphytic with the drooping
branches bearing long petioled, ovate, cordate shiny leaves. Leaves are bright green, the apex
produced into a linear-lanceolate tail about half as long as the main portion of the blade. The
receptacles occurring in pairs and are axillary, depressed globose, smooth and purplish when ripe. The
bark is grey or ash coloured with thin or membranous flakes and is often covered with crustose lichen
patches. The outer bark is not of uniform thickness, the middle bark in sections appear as brownish or
light reddish brown. The inner part consists of layers of light yellowish or orange brown granular
tissue (Warrier et al, 1995).
Bark gives β-sitosterol and its glucoside. Bark is hypoglycaemic. Stem bark is antiprotozoal,
anthelmintic and antiviral. Bark is astringent, antigonorrheic, febrifuge, aphrodisiac and antidysenteric.
Syconium, leaf and young shoot is purgative (Husain et al, 1992).
Agrotechnology
Ficus species can be cultivated in rocky areas, unused lands, or other wastelands of the
farmyard. The plant is vegetatively propagated by stem cuttings. A few species are also seed
propagated. Stem cuttings of pencil thickness taken from the branches are to be kept for rooting.
Rooted cuttings are to be transplanted to prepared pits. No regular manuring is required. Irrigation is
not a must as a plant is hardy. The plant is not attacked by any serious pests or diseases. Bark can be
collected after 15 years. Ficus species generally has an economic life span of more than hundred
years. Hence bark can be regularly collected from the tree. Root, bark, leaves, fruits and latex form
the economic parts (Prasad et al,1995).