Bush Tucker Plants
Sandpaper Fig
Plant DescriptionBotanical Name: Ficus coronataCommon Name: Creek sandpaper fig This is a bushy tree with rough, sandpapery leaves. The 20 mm furry fruit are dark when ripe, and appear on the trunk and larger branches. The tree is often associated with creek banks. UsageThe fruit are edible raw when fully ripe, but the furry skin can be irritant, and must be peeled off first. A number of other native figs are palatable also - eg. Ficus fraseri and Ficus opposita - both figs with sandpapery leaves, Ficus congesta, and Ficus racemosa, the cluster fig which has quite large, 50 mm fruit in bunches off the trunk. Litlle use is made of the Australian native figs by the Bush Food industry. Most other Australian native figs are edible, but many have a very dry taste.
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Sandpaper Fig leaves and fruits.
Ficus congesta fruits. Most fruits are from the trunk, but some individual fruit arise from inside the branches as well. |
