What are the characteristics of the fig tree?

The scietific name is FICUS ULMIFOLIA

Family of MORACEAE or URTECACEAL

Its common TAGALOG name is ISIS

What are the characteristics of the fig tree?
Fig, common name for plants of a genus of the mulberry family, and for the fruits of these plants. The common commercial fig, native to southwest Asia, is widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical countries. It is a low, deciduous tree, about 5 to 8 m (about 15 to 25 ft) tall, having deeply lobed, alternate leaves that are rough above and smooth beneath; branches are covered with downy, greenish bark.



The small flowers of the fig plant are borne on the inner surface of a fleshy, hollow organ called a receptacle, and the fruit is the result of further growth of the receptacle. Many commercial fig varieties produce no fertile pollen, and as fruit development cannot proceed without fertilization, pollen of the wild fig is used for these varieties. Fruits of other varieties develop without fertilization. To ensure pollination in fig orchards, flower branches of the wild fig are suspended in the vicinity of cultivated fig trees, a process known as caprification. Propagation is usually accomplished by cuttings.



Commercial production of cultivated figs is widespread throughout the Mediterranean region. Most of the fruit is dried before marketing. In the United States, the major centers are California and Texas. The more popular Californian varieties are packed fresh or dried. Most Texas figs are canned.



Another species of fig, the sycamore fig, is a taller tree that also bears edible fruit. The figs are pear-shaped, sweet, and slightly aromatic but inferior to the common fig. This tree is the true sycamore, mentioned several times in the Old Testament, and is a favorite shade tree in the Middle East. The pipal, or sacred fig, is another tall member of the genus, growing in Southeast Asia. It is venerated by Buddhists and Brahmins, to whom it is known as the bo tree. The common rubber plant, which is familiar in United States homes and conservatories, is a species of fig. In Southeast Asia, its native home, the plant's overall growth is much greater than under temperate conditions, and in this form it is known as the India rubber tree, a source of Assam rubber. The banyan tree, or Indian fig, produces edible fruits.



Two figs native to the subtropical United States develop from seeds germinated on the trunks of trees. Aerial roots are extended down the sides of the trunks, eventually establishing contact with the ground.



Scientific classification: Figs constitute the genus Ficus, of the family Moraceae. The common commercial fig is classified as Ficus carica, the sycamore fig as ficus sycomorus, and the pipal, or sacred fig, as Ficus religiosa. The common rubber plant is classified as Ficus elastica, and the banyan tree, or Indian fig, as Ficus bengalensis. The two figs native to the subtropical United States are classified as Ficus aurea and Ficus citrifolia.