Scientific Name: Ficus watkinsiana

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  • Pronunciation:
    FY-cus (or FEE-cus) wat-kins-ee-AHN-ah
  • Common Name:
    Strangling Fig, Nipple Fig
  • Derivation:
    Ficus: L. ficus - the edible fig||watkinsiana: honours George Watkins, former president of Qld. Pharmaceutical Society and plant collector
  • Type:
    Tree
  • Family:
    MORACEAE
  • Flowers:
    occur inside fig
  • Fruit:
    Fig, dark purple with yellowish dots, fleshy, globular or ovoid but pointed at apex, 1-4 cm dia. on thick stalks from leaf axil, ripe September to April
  • Vegetation Type:
    Rainforest,
  • Species List:
    Bush food, Bush medicine, Craft, Heritage Park, Pacific Lutheran College, Fraser Island, Janet, Mill Point, NNP Viewland/Brunjes, Upper Yandina Creek, NNP Tanglewood, NNP Palm Grove, Dandaloo, Wallace Park,
Cultural Notes

TAKE CARE! Some information about bush foods and medicines may be anecdotal. Correct identification and preparation is essential:

Bush food. Ripe fruit edible.

Bush medicine: Latex used to dry umbilical cord, and applied to ringworm infested skin.

Fibrous woody bark used for scoop fishing nets.

Near Tully, sticky latex was spread on branches to trap small birds that were caught and eaten.

Identification Notes

Terminal bud: enclosed in reddish purple stipule ||Leaf: simple, with yellowish petiole, prominent venation ||Fig oval with nipple, dark purple with yellowish dots ||Strangler, widely buttressed||

Associated Fauna

Bird Attracting. Fruit eating birds appreciate this plant.

Landscaping Notes

Successfully propogated by Noosa & District Landcare. ||Handsome bushy shade tree for large spaces. ||Successfully propagated by Mooloolah Native Nursery||Successfully propagated by Barung Landcare||