Urnfig | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Rosales |
Family: | Moraceae |
Genus: | Trilepisium |
Species: | T. madagascariense
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Binomial name | |
Trilepisium madagascariense | |
Synonyms | |
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Trilepisium madagascariense, the urnfig or false-fig, is a species of plant in the family Moraceae, with an extensive range in the subtropical and tropical Afrotropics. It grows to a medium-sized or large tree in primary or secondary forest, or in forest patches, and is rarely cultivated. [2]
It is native to tropical and subtropical West and Central Africa, and occurs southwards to Zimbabwe, Mozambique and the Soutpansberg, South Africa. It is also found on Madagascar and Annobón island. [3] The closely related T. gymnandrum occurs on Silhouette Island, Seychelles. [4]
It grows in evergreen and semi-deciduous forests, flooded forests or forest patches and often grows along rivers and streams, [5] extending on to the borders of savanna. [6] It is found at altitudes of up to 2,000 m [7] and higher. [8] Its status varies from rare to locally abundant and dominant. [6]
They are usually short and twisted bole and is often fluted at the base, [8] with or without buttresses. [6] Large trees may be 60 cm to 1½ m in girth, and 30 m high. [6] The smooth, grey bark is very lenticellate [9] and exudes a cream-coloured latex when damaged. [7] The yellowish to pinkish slash turns purple-red as it dries. [9] It usually branches high up to form a small and loosely pyramidal crown [8] with drooping twigs. Stipules of the terminal buds eventually leave annular scars. [9]
The glossy and very dark elliptic leaves have a prominent driptip, [5] and measure up to 14 cm long. [7] They are glossy below, and have two small lobes at the base. [9]
The flowers appear in spring and are arranged in a whitish to mauve puff. [7] The puff is about 1 cm in diameter, [5] and consists of staminate male flowers and pistillate female flowers, without perianths, [7] which obscure the view of the receptacle. [3] The flowers protrude from the open apex of an urn-shaped receptacle which is about 1.5 cm long. [5]
The fig-like fruit, embedded in fleshy receptacles, are some 2 cm long. [7] They are ellipsoidal in shape and hold a nutlet each. [5] [9] Ripe fruit have the appearance of blue plums [9] or elongated figs. [3]
The wood is suitable for furniture, and the sap yields a red dye. [5] Roasted seeds are eaten and the trees are sometimes cultivated. [8] It has many traditional uses. [6]
A methanol extract, fractions and isoliquiritigenin from the stem bark has been shown to possess antidiarrhoeal activities, [10] and previously unknown trilepisflavan and trilepisuimic acid compounds were isolated from it in 2012. [11]
Trilepisium madagascariense is a larval foodplant for the butterfly Cyrestis camillus sublineata. [5]