About

Ficus racemosa, the cluster fig, red river fig, udumbara, audumbara, or gular (Hindi: गूलर), is a species of plant in the mulberry family Moraceae. It is native to tropical Asia and Australia. It is a fast-growing plant with large, very coarse leaves, attaining the size of a large shrub or even larger in old specimens. A distinctive feature of its growth habit is the cauliflorous nature of its fruiting, where the syconia (figs) grow in dense clusters directly from the trunk and larger branches. The ripe figs are a favourite food of the rhesus macaque, and the plant also serves as a host for the caterpillars of the two-brand crow butterfly (Euploea sylvester) of northern Australia.

The species is of cultural importance in Hinduism and Buddhism. The tree is also important to the Dusunic peoples of Sabah, Malaysia, where it is called Nunuk Ragang.

Where it grows

The cluster fig is native to South Asia, Southeast Asia and northern Australia, with a natural range extending from Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh through Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, southern China, Malaysia and Indonesia, and eastwards to Papua New Guinea and northern Australia. It thrives in tropical and subtropical climates, commonly found in lowland forests, riverbanks and open woodlands, as well as in rural villages and temple grounds, where it is often cultivated for its religious significance, shade and edible figs.

Uses

The figs can be eaten when ripe, or used while still green as a vegetable in stir-fries and curries, or made into preserves. The shoots and young leaves are also edible. The Ovambo people call the fruit of the cluster fig eenghwiyu and use it to distill ombike, a traditional liquor.

Other Ficus plants

Ficus annulata · Mosaic Fig · Ficus atricha · Florida strangler fig · Roxburgh fig · Indian banyan · Weeping fig · Longleaf Fig · Ficus brachypoda · Fig · Ficus caulocarpa · Ficus celebensis