Ficus microcarpa

Ficus microcarpa, also known as Chinese banyan, Malay banyan, Indian laurel, curtain fig, or gajumaru is a tree in the Moraceae fig family. It is native in the range from China through tropical Asia and the Caroline Islands to Australia. It is grown widely as a shade tree and is often incorrectly identified as F. retusa or as F. nitide (F. benjamina)

Ficus microcarpa is a tropical tree with smooth light gray bark and entire leaves about 2-2.5 inches (5-6 cm) away whose length in the Mediterranean climate grows to about forty feet (twelve meters) high and with a spreading crown the same one. If conditions are favorable for the habitual habit of the banyan (tropical subtropical and humid), it grows much larger, producing abundant support roots.

The largest known specimen is "Bibi Sarah Banyan" at the Menehune Botanical Gardens near Nawiliwili, Kauai, Hawai'i which is 110.0 feet (33.53 meters) high, a crown spread of 250 feet (76.2 meters), and has more than one thousand air. stem.

F. microcarpa with the thickest trunk is also in Hawai'i, in Keaau Village, Puna District, on the Big Island. Its main trunk is 28.0 feet (8.53 meters) thick at chest level. It is 195.0 feet (59.44 meters) tall in the spread of the extremities. [12] Only slightly smaller is the "Banyan di Lomteuheakal" in Vanuatu, an F. microcarpa with a main trunk 27.15 feet (26 meters in circumference).

Ficus microcarpa is cultivated as an ornamental tree for planting in gardens, parks, and in containers as plant specimens and indoor bonsai. In Southeast Asia, it is cultivated as a shade tree because of its dense foliage. Its ability to produce discards also makes it easy to ride in a hedge or bush.

As a tropical and subtropical tree, it is suitable for temperatures above 20 ° C all year round, which explains why it is generally sold as an ornamental. However, it can withstand relatively low temperatures, only experiencing damage below 0 ° C. High humidity (70% - 100%) is preferred and appears to favor aerial root development. This species can be propagated easily by cuttings, either in water or directly in a substrate of sand or potting soil.

Ficus Emerald Green is an Australian cultivar with glossy green foliage and grows upright that can be used in formal garden settings as a hedge. Cultivars can also be trained to look similar to a 'lollipop' in a container.

Drug
This plant is also used in traditional medicine in India, Malaysia, China and Japan. In Japan, bark, air roots and dried leaves are traditionally used to fight pain and fever, while in China these plants are traditionally used against flu, malaria, bronchitis and rheumatism, among others. The pharmacological properties of the Ficus microcarpa will include antioxidant, antibacterial, anticancer and anti-diabetic agent activity.

The tree is considered the main invasive species in Hawaii, Florida, Bermuda, Central America, and South America. F. microcarpa is widely used as a road and ornamental tree in common snow-free coastal areas of California. Its strong roots can lift sidewalks and sidewalks, and many cities in California no longer recommend planting it. In Southern California, a symbiotic fig wasp population is now established, which allows ornamental trees to produce lush fruit. The seeds are spread by fruit-eating birds, and F. microcarpa can now spread without direct human assistance. Natural populations have been found in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, and Ventura, including on buildings, bridges, and other structures, and as epiphytes in other trees, especially palm trees. It is commonly used as an ornamental tree on most of Spain's Mediterranean coasts, such as in the Balearic Islands and Canaries. Ficus microcarpa can also be found on the southern coast of Sicily, in Rhodes and Cyprus. It is considered an invasive plant in Israel, although it is not widespread