India-rubber tree

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• India Rubber Fig
• Indian Rubber Tree
• Rubber Plant
• karet-tree
• India Rubber Tree
• Rubber Fig

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Visiania elastica
• Urostigma elasticum
• Macrophthalma elastica
• Urostigma elasticum var. latifolium
• Ficus elastica var. variegata
• Ficus taeda
• Urostigma circumscissum
• Urostigma karet
• Urostigma odoratum
• Ficus skytinodermis
• Ficus elastica var. belgica
• Ficus elastica var. benghalensis
• Ficus elastica var. decora
• Ficus elastica var. karet
• Ficus elastica var. minor
• Ficus elastica var. odorata
• Ficus elastica var. rubra
• Stilpnophyllum elasticum

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it is ordered under Rosales and situated in the family Moraceae. Ultimately, it is identified by the genus Ficus.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution spanning across several continents. In Europe, it can be found in Spain within the southwestern region and in Sicilia throughout the southeast. Its reach extends into West Tropical Africa, where it is specifically located in Gambia. Furthermore, it inhabits the West-Central Tropical Africa region, particularly in Cameroon. Finally, the species is also distributed across the Gulf of Guinea Islands in West-Central Tropical Africa.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Ficus elasticas is characterized by a broad altitudinal distribution that spans from sea level to significant mountainous terrain. This species thrives across an elevational range starting at 0 m AMSL, indicating a high capacity for colonization in lowland tropical or subtropical environments. The distribution reaches its upper limits at a maximum elevation of 2600 m AMSL, showcasing its adaptability to varying climatic pressures and temperature gradients found at higher altitudes. On average, the plant is most commonly situated at a mean elevation of 1150 m AMSL, a mid-altitude zone that likely provides the optimal balance of moisture, light availability, and atmospheric conditions required for its growth and ecological integration.

Elevational range max:

2600 m AMSL

Elevational range mean:

1150 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Ficus elastica is characterized by its nature as a perennial species, allowing it to persist and thrive through many growing seasons. As a robust and long-lived plant, it maintains a consistent presence in its environment, contributing to its stability within its ecological niche. Complementing its long lifespan, the plant exhibits evergreen deciduousness, meaning it retains its lush, green foliage throughout the year without undergoing a seasonal shedding of leaves. This continuous leaf presence ensures a constant capacity for photosynthesis, supporting its vigorous growth patterns and its ability to reach significant structural maturity over time.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Ficus elastica is characterized by its robust growth form as a woody tree. It is a terrestrial plant that functions as a self-supporting species rather than a climber or a vine, and it exists as an independent organism without parasitic tendencies. In terms of stature, the plant exhibits significant vertical development, with a height that typically ranges from a minimum of 20 meters to a maximum of 30 meters, though it can reach a mean height of approximately 37.5 meters. Its structural development is defined by its woody nature, providing the necessary stability for its massive, tree-like habit.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

30 m

Plant height mean:

37.5 m

Plant height min:

20 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Ficus elasticas is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its metabolic processes and carbon fixation strategies. The plant's vegetative structure is defined by its foliage, which displays significant morphological variation in dimensions. The leaves possess a mean length of 19 cm, though they can range from a minimum of 8 cm to a maximum of 30 cm. In terms of lateral expansion, the leaf width shows a mean value of 8.5 cm, with measurements spanning from a minimum of 7 cm to a maximum of 10 cm. Furthermore, the plant does not function as a nitrogen fixer, meaning it relies on external soil nitrogen sources rather than symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria to fulfill its nutritional requirements.

Leaf length max:

30 cm

Leaf length mean:

19 cm

Leaf length min:

8 cm

Leaf width max:

10 cm

Leaf width mean:

8.5 cm

Leaf width min:

7 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Ficus elasticas is characterized by a biotic pollination syndrome, primarily driven by insect vectors. The flowering cycle is highly flexible, with flowering start times often occurring in December, though the plant exhibits a variable flowering period that can span across all months from January through November. The resulting fruits are fleshy in nature, housing seeds with highly consistent physical properties. Specifically, the seeds maintain a uniform seed mass of 0.09804 g (with both minimum and maximum values recorded at this level) and a consistent seed volume of 100 mm³, representing both the minimum, maximum, and mean measurements.

Flowering time :

Dec

Fruit dryness :

fleshy

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Seed mass mean:

0.09804 g

Seed volume max:

100 mm³

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Ficus elastica has 2 reported plant parts identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, root.

Leaf

1. Pharmacognosy magazine

Root

1. Archives internationales de pharmacodynamie et de therapie

Chemicals

Ficus elastica has 1 reported phytochemicals identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoids.

Flavonoids

1. Archives internationales de pharmacodynamie et de therapie

Conditions

Ficus elastica has 9 reported investigations on conditions identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include inflammation, Buruli ulcer, Plasmodium falciparum, Schistosoma mansoni, adjuvant arthritis.

Inflammation

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Archives internationales de pharmacodynamie et de therapie

Buruli ulcer

1. International journal of mycobacteriology

Plasmodium falciparum

1. Saudi journal of biological sciences

Schistosoma mansoni

1. Pharmaceutical biology

Adjuvant arthritis

1. Archives internationales de pharmacodynamie et de therapie

Headache

1. Pharmacognosy magazine

Menorrhagia

1. Pharmacognosy magazine

Rheumatism

1. Pharmacognosy magazine

Toothache

1. Pharmacognosy magazine

Preparations

Ficus elastica has 6 reported preparations identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include Ficus elastica extract, aqueous extract, crude aqueous extract of the root bark, dried leaves, latex.

Ficus elastica extract

1. Archives internationales de pharmacodynamie et de therapie

Aqueous extract

1. Archives internationales de pharmacodynamie et de therapie

Crude aqueous extract of the root bark

1. Archives internationales de pharmacodynamie et de therapie

Dried leaves

1. Pharmacognosy magazine

Latex

1. Pharmaceutical biology

Methanolic and aqueous crude extracts

1. International journal of mycobacteriology