Trilepisium madagascariense
| Urnfig | |
|---|---|
| File:Trilepisium madagascariense00.jpg | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Moraceae |
| Genus: | Trilepisium |
| Species: | T. madagascariense
|
| 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]
Range and habitat
[edit | edit source]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]
Description
[edit | edit source]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]
Uses and species associations
[edit | edit source]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]
References
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