Ficus racemosa L.

അത്തി

Family : Moraceae

Synonym : Ficus glomerata Roxb.

Common Names : Atthi, Cluster fig

Flowering Period : February – May

Distribution : Indo-Malaysia to Australia

Habitat : Semi-evergreen and deciduous forests, also in the plains

Uses : Latex used in the production of water-resistant paper and as plasticizer for Hevea rubber. The wood is used as a fuel. Sacred Indian plant, Ayurvedic, fruits edible, mosquito repellent.

Key Characters :

Deciduous trees, to 30 m high; bole buttressed; bark surface reddish-brown smooth. Leaves simple, alternate, ovate, margin entire. Flowers unisexual; inflorescence a syconia; flowers of unisexual, 4 kinds; male flowers near the mouth of receptacles, in 2-3 rings; tepals 3-4, red; stamens 2; female flowers sessile; tepals 3-4, red, ovary superior; ovary dark red, rough; style short. Syconium, orange, pink or dark crimson.