Urnfigs | |
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T. madagascariense | |
Scientific classification
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Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Rosales |
Family: | Moraceae |
Tribe: | Dorstenieae |
Genus: |
Trilepisium Thouars (1806) |
Species [1] | |
| |
Synonyms [1] | |
|
Trilepisium, the urnfigs or false-figs, is a small Afrotropical genus of plants in family Moraceae. They grow to medium-sized or large trees that occur in evergreen and semi-deciduous forests, flooded forests or forest patches and often along rivers and streams, [2] and at elevations of up to 2,000 m [3] and over. [4]
The bole may be 60 cm wide, and is often fluted at the base. [4] The smooth, grey bark is very lenticellate [5] and exudes a cream-coloured latex when damaged. [3] The yellowish to pinkish slash turns purple-red as it dries. [5] They usually branch high up to form a small and loosely pyramidal crown [4] with drooping twigs. Stipules of terminal buds eventually leave annular scars. [5]
The glossy and very dark elliptic leaves have a prominent driptip, [2] and measure up to 14 cm long. [3] They are glossy below, and have two small lobes at the base. [5]
The flowers appear in spring and are arranged in a whitish to mauve puff. [3] The puff is about 1 cm in diameter, [2] and consists of staminate male flowers and pistillate female flowers, without perianths, [3] which obscure the view of the receptacle. [6] The flowers protrude from the open apex of an urn-shaped receptacle which is about 1.5 cm long. [2]
The fig-like fruit, embedded in the fleshy receptacles, are some 2 cm long. [3] They are ellipsoidal in shape and hold a nutlet each. [2] [5] Ripe fruit have the appearance of blue plums. [5]
The two species are distinguished on floral characteristics: [7]
The wood of T. madagascariense is suitable for furniture, and the sap yields a red dye. [2] Its roasted seeds are eaten and it is sometimes cultivated. [4] A methanol extract, fractions and isoliquiritigenin from T. madagascariense stem bark has been shown to possess antidiarrheal activities, [8] and previously unknown trilepisflavan and trilepisuimic acid compounds were isolated from it in 2012. [9]
Trilepisium madagascariense is a larval foodplant for the butterfly Cyrestis camillus sublineata. [2] On the Seychelles the seeds are likely dispersed by frugivorous birds and fruit bats, but the pollinators are unknown. [7]
Urnfigs | |
---|---|
![]() | |
T. madagascariense | |
Scientific classification
![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Rosales |
Family: | Moraceae |
Tribe: | Dorstenieae |
Genus: |
Trilepisium Thouars (1806) |
Species [1] | |
| |
Synonyms [1] | |
|
Trilepisium, the urnfigs or false-figs, is a small Afrotropical genus of plants in family Moraceae. They grow to medium-sized or large trees that occur in evergreen and semi-deciduous forests, flooded forests or forest patches and often along rivers and streams, [2] and at elevations of up to 2,000 m [3] and over. [4]
The bole may be 60 cm wide, and is often fluted at the base. [4] The smooth, grey bark is very lenticellate [5] and exudes a cream-coloured latex when damaged. [3] The yellowish to pinkish slash turns purple-red as it dries. [5] They usually branch high up to form a small and loosely pyramidal crown [4] with drooping twigs. Stipules of terminal buds eventually leave annular scars. [5]
The glossy and very dark elliptic leaves have a prominent driptip, [2] and measure up to 14 cm long. [3] They are glossy below, and have two small lobes at the base. [5]
The flowers appear in spring and are arranged in a whitish to mauve puff. [3] The puff is about 1 cm in diameter, [2] and consists of staminate male flowers and pistillate female flowers, without perianths, [3] which obscure the view of the receptacle. [6] The flowers protrude from the open apex of an urn-shaped receptacle which is about 1.5 cm long. [2]
The fig-like fruit, embedded in the fleshy receptacles, are some 2 cm long. [3] They are ellipsoidal in shape and hold a nutlet each. [2] [5] Ripe fruit have the appearance of blue plums. [5]
The two species are distinguished on floral characteristics: [7]
The wood of T. madagascariense is suitable for furniture, and the sap yields a red dye. [2] Its roasted seeds are eaten and it is sometimes cultivated. [4] A methanol extract, fractions and isoliquiritigenin from T. madagascariense stem bark has been shown to possess antidiarrheal activities, [8] and previously unknown trilepisflavan and trilepisuimic acid compounds were isolated from it in 2012. [9]
Trilepisium madagascariense is a larval foodplant for the butterfly Cyrestis camillus sublineata. [2] On the Seychelles the seeds are likely dispersed by frugivorous birds and fruit bats, but the pollinators are unknown. [7]