British name Climbing fig

Figure 4-20 Ficus pumila

1. Fruit branch 2. Nutrition branch 3. Female flower 4. Male flower 5. Fruit

(Li Jianing imitates "Illustration of Chinese Higher Plants")

Moraceae Ficus plants are produced in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Fujian, Hunan, Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou and East China, and also distributed in Vietnam, India and Japan. Evergreen woody climbing vines, the vines are as long as 10m, and the whole plant contains milk; The vegetative branches are attached to the wall or trunk with air roots; The leaves are large and small, and the small leaves are paper-like, oval, small and thin, about1~ 2.5 cm long, and planted on the vegetative branches; Large leaves are leathery, oval, 4 ~1cm long and1.5 ~ 4.5 cm wide, and are planted on thick fruit branches. Cryptocephalus is solitary in leaf axils, with male flowers, female flowers and gall flowers. The fruit is a cluster of flowers and fruits developed from cryptocephalic inflorescence, pear-shaped or obovate, with flat top, umbilical protuberance and perforation in the center, usually 5 ~ 6.5 cm long, purple when mature, with most tiny achenes inside, thin skin and rich mucus on the surface. The fruit is sweet and edible, rich in pectin, fructose, etc. It can be made into bean jelly, which is a health-care and cool food in summer and can also be used as medicine. The inflorescence contains inositol, rutin, β-sitosterol, dandelion sterol acetate, etc. Achenes contain gelatinous substances and can be hydrolyzed into glucose, fructose and arabinose (Figure 4-20).

The fruit of the same plant, F.awkeotsang Makino in Taiwan Province, can also be eaten and made into translucent natural Aiyu gum. Taiwan Province calls it "Aiyu Ice", which is transparent and delicate, and has excellent taste. It is a healthy drink in summer, and has the effects of relieving summer heat, promoting fluid production, relieving cough, cooling and relieving fever. Aiyuzi and Ficus pumila are very similar, the main difference is that the leaves are oblong. Corner( 1960) named it a variety of Ficus pumila Linn, that is, [F. pumila Linn. var. Awkeotsang (Makino) corner]. Aiyuzi is not only produced in Taiwan Province, but also distributed in Fuqing and Yongtai in Fujian.

(Xu Junjun)