Straggling fig with milky sap, assuming a tree form, to 15m or more in height. Leaves are alternate and coriaceous, to 10cm long, oblong-ovate, with rounded base and acuminate tip. Blade is smooth, glossy green, and with entire margins. Fruit is solitary, sessile, dark purple, about 1cm in diameter. Distributed from India to Malay peninsula. Widely distributed in the Philippines and grows in thickets, and abandoned fields. Also planted as shade or ornamental tree in big gardens, parks and on road sides.
Ficus elastica
Common names: Indian rubber tree, false rubber tree. Spreading, glabrous tree growing to 10 m tall. Leaves are leathery, smooth, and shining, elliptic-oblong, sharply-acuminate, to 25 cm long, entire; the nerves are numerous, conspicuous, and parallel; the stipules are membranaceous and reddish. Native to tropical Asia. Introduced to the Philippines during the American period. Commonly planted along roads and in parks. Propagated by marcoting of small branches.
Ficus pseudopalma
Locally known as Niyog-Niyogan. An erect, unbranched, widely spreading shrub, leaf scars are prominent and deeply embedded, leaves; densely crowded at the terminal, oblanceolate, longer than wide up to 80 cm in length, narrows as it reach the base, almost sessile, margins coarsely irregular, wavy, waxy surface, softly toothed; with very prominent hard dark brown midrid, lanceolate appendage at the base of the leaf stalk (stipule), dark green receptacle. Cultivated; widely distributed in the Philippines at low altitude.
Ficus spp.
Deciduous trees or shrubs, some climbing, with milky sap. leaves; alternate or opposite, margins are toothed, smooth or rough, waxy surface, various size some as long as 80 cm (F. pseudopalma) some 10 cm (F. benjamina) flowers; small, dense, receptacle is fleshy, axillary some are arranged in various manner into the hard trunk, fruits; borne in the leaf axils with very attractive color. Common in tropical countries, distributed throughout the Philippines. Propagated through seeds in bird droppings or carry on through the wind, germinates on tree branches in the case F. benjamina, a saprophyte, but most of the members of the family are fee living.