Ficus semicordata - Drooping Fig

Drooping Fig is a small to medium sized tree , up to 15 m tall, with an irregular crown. Trunk is up to 2 m in circumference, without aerial roots. Bark is dark-grey, young twigs covered with white or pale-brownish short hairs. Leaves are carried on 1-1.5 cm long stalks. Leaf blade is variable, mostly elliptic to oblong, lanceshaped, 10-30 cm long, 5-10 cm broad, base highly unequal-sided with a 3.4-nerved rounded large lower lobe overlapping the stalk. Leaf margin is entire or coarsely toothed. Tip is tapering, and the leaves are slightly rough on both sides or hairy beneath. Figs are spherical to pear-shaped, 1.2-2 cm in diameter, pink or dull reddish brown with white spots, hairy, on leafless branches. The branches are pendulous and are often prostrate on the ground. The figs often mature underground, hence the Hindi common name bhui goolar. Figs are edible, leaves are lopped for fodder. Fibres from the bark are used to make coarse rope. Drooping Fig is found in the Himalayas, from Kashmir to NE India, SE Asia, C. India, at altitudes of 600-2000 m. Flowering: May-October.