Edible Fig
( Mukuyu or fig )
- Ficus carica
- IUCN Status: Not Evaluated
- Tree Type: Deciduous
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Clade 1: Tracheophytes
- Clade 2: Angiosperms
- Clade 3: Eudicots
- Clade 4: Rosids
- Order: Rosales
- Family: Moraceae
- Genus: Ficus
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General Information
The fig contains the edible fruit of Ficus carica, a species of small tree in the flowering plant family Moraceae. It has been cultivated since ancient times and is now widely grown throughout the world, both for its fruit and as an ornamental plant. Ficus carica is the type species of the genus Ficus, containing over 800 tropical and subtropical plant species.
A fig plant is a small deciduous tree or large shrub growing up to 7–10m tall, with smooth white bark. Its large leaves have three to five deep lobes
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Description
Its fruit (referred to as syconium, a type of multiple fruit) is tear-shaped, 3–5 cm long, with a green skin that may ripen toward purple or brown, and sweet soft reddish flesh containing numerous crunchy seeds.
Uses
Figs can be eaten fresh or dried, or processed into jam, rolls, biscuits and other types of desserts. Since ripe fruit does not transport and keep well, most commercial production is in dried and processed forms. Raw figs contain roughly 80% water and 20% carbohydrates, with negligible protein, fat and micro-nutrient content. They are a moderate source of dietary fiber.
Cultivation
Toxicity and Allergies
The milky sap of the green parts is an irritant to human skin.
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Livingstone, ZM
6:43 PM,
2 December, 2024
28°C
clear sky