Ficus pseudopalma

Ficus pseudopalma is a species of fig in the Mulberry Family (Moraceae).[1] It is known by the common names Philippine fig, dracaena fig, and palm-leaf fig.[2] In nature it is endemic to the Philippines, especially the island of Luzon.[2] It is known elsewhere as an ornamental plant.

Ficus pseudopalma
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Moraceae
Genus:	Ficus
Subgenus:	F. subg. Sycomorus
Species:	F. pseudopalma
Binomial name
Ficus pseudopalma Blanco
Synonyms[1]
Ficus blancoi Elmer Ficus haenkei Warb.

This is a shrub growing erect with a naked unbranched mesocaul stem topped with a cluster of leaves to give it the appearance of a palm.[3] Indeed, the species name pseudopalma means "false palm".[4] The leaves are up to 30 -36 inches (75-90 cm) long[5] with a yellow midrib and edged with dull teeth. The fruit is a dark green fig that grows in pairs, each fruit just over an inch long.[3]

In Luzon, this plant occurs in grassland and forest habitat, where it is considered common.[6] The new shoots of the plant are eaten as a type of vegetable, and there are a number of traditional medicinal uses, such as a remedy for kidney stones made from the leaves.[7] In Bicol Region the plant is known as Lubi-lubi and the leaves are cooked in coconut milk.[4] In 2003 the leaves were sold in markets for US$0.74 per kilogram, and the plant can be grown in plantations without pesticides for an adequate profit.[4]

This shrub has been used as a landscaping plant in Hawaii, but it never escaped cultivation or became established in the wild because the species of wasp that pollinates it was never brought to the islands.[3]

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