MULBERRY FAMILY (MORACEAE) 



22. Jagiiey bianco, shortleaf fig 



Like the other wild and planted tree species of 

 the same genus (Firus), the commonest of the 

 jagiieyes or wild figs of Puerto Rico is recognized 

 by: (i) milky juice, or white latex, which exudes 

 copiously from cut or broken parts; (2) aerial 

 roots often extending from branches to the 

 ground; (3) prominent long-pointed buds at end 

 of each twig, formed by a scale (stipule) which 

 makes a ring scar; and (4) small fleshy figlike 

 fi'uits paired or single at leaf bases, with minute 

 flowers hidden inside. Jagiiey bianco is further 

 distinguished by: (1) wliitish bark; and (2) 

 leaves with relatively long slender ]ietioles •^4-2 

 inches long and short-pointed elliptic to oblong 

 blades IVo-fi inches long and %-'iYi inches broad, 

 the 6-10 lateral veins on each side about 1/4 inch 

 apart and nearly at right angles to midrib. 



A small to medium-sized spreading evergreen 

 tree to 60 feet high and 21/2 feet in trunk diameter. 

 The bark is smoothish, becoming slightly fissured. 

 The inner bark is light brown, fibrous, and almost 

 tasteless, the white latex also nearly tasteless. 

 Twigs are greenish, turning to gray, have faint 

 rings at nodes, and terminate in a long pointed 

 green scale (stipule) %-% i'lc^i long- 



Blades of the alternate leaves vary greatly in 

 size and shape and are alnniptly short-pointed at 

 apex and rounded, short-pointed, or slightly heart- 

 shaped at base, often a little thickened, hairless, 

 and not toothed at edges. The upper surface is 

 green to dark green, slightly shiny, with many tiny 

 dots (raised on a dried leaf), and the lower sur- 

 face is paler. 



As the flowers in this genus are not visible, it 

 appears that the trees have fruits but no flowers. 

 The figlike multiple fruit (syconium), actually a 

 compound fruit, corresponds to an enlarged over- 

 grown flower stalk bearing on the inner walls 

 numerous tiny male and feuude flowers (monoe- 

 cious) and the small seeds, each technically a fruit 

 from a single flower. In this species the slightly 

 fleshy rounded fruits about % '"''li i» diameter 

 are borne on slender stalks %-% inch long. They 

 are greenish, often brown dotted, turning reddish 

 and brownish at maturity, and edible though taste- 

 less. There are 2 scales Vie inch long joinecl at base 

 and a small pore at apex. Fruits are borne 

 through the year. 



The sapwood is whitish, and the heartwood light 

 brown. The wood is fairly lightweight (specific 

 gravity 0.40), soft and tough, and strong for its 

 weight. Nevertheless, it is not durable and is very 

 susceptible to attack by dry-wood termites. The 

 rate of air-seasoning is slow, and amount of de- 

 grade is minor. Machining characteristics are as 

 follows: planing and sanding are good; shaping, 

 turning, boring, and mortising are poor; and re- 

 sistance to screw splitting is excellent. The wood 

 is u.secl for making guitars and for fuel. It is 



Ficus laevigata Vahl 



suitable for boxes, crates, interior construction, 

 and light carpentry. 



The plants make excellent live fenceposts be- 

 cause they i-oot so readily from cuttings. Grown 

 as an ornamental and .shade tree in Puerto Rico 

 and southern Florida. 



Young plants of this and some related species 

 commonly .start as air plants (epiphytes) high on 

 a fork of ancjther tree where birds have dispersed 

 the seeds. After sending slender aerial roots to the 

 ground, the vinelike plant grows rapidly. Its 

 roots usually unite to form a trunk, sometimes 

 strangling and killing the older tree. 



In forests, thickets, fence rows, and roadsides 

 tliroughout Puerto Rico with the exception of the 

 upper mountain regions. Also in ]\Iona, Icacos, 

 Culebra, Vieques, St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John, 

 and Tortola. 



Public forests. — Aguirre, Cambalache, Carite, 

 (iuajataca, (iuanica, Guilarte, Luquillo, Maricao, 

 Ri'o Abajo, San Juan, Susua, Toro Negro, Vega. 



Raxge. — Southern Florida including Florida 

 Keys and througli West Indies from Bahamas and 

 Cuba to Grenada and Barbados. 



Other cojemon x.vmes. — jagiiey, jagiiey macho, 

 jagiieillo, jigiierillo (Puerto Rico) ; white fig (Vir- 

 gin Islands); higuillo (Dominican Republic); 

 jagiiey, jagiieicillo (Cuba) ; shortleaf fig, wild fig, 

 wild banyan (United States) ; shortleaf wild fig 

 (Bahamas) ; figuier (St. Lucia) ; figuier maudit, 

 tiguier blanc. figuier banian (Guadeloupe) ; figuier 

 maudit (Martinique). 



BoTANic.\L SYNOXYMS. — Ficus Jenfigino-sn Vahl, 

 F. laevigata var. lenfiginosa (Vahl) Urban, F. 

 populnea Willd., F. brevifolia Nutt., F. pop^ilnea 

 var. hreinfoUn (Nutt.) Warb., F. laevigata var. 

 brevifolia (Nutt.) Warb. 



This is a variable species of wide geographical 

 range, composed of races within Puerto Rico and 

 outside dirt'ering in size of leaves and fruits and 

 in length of fruit stalks. Some taxonomists have 

 distinguished 2 or 3 species and additional vari- 

 eties. Recently, however, this species has been con- 

 sidered a synonym of F. citnfolia Mill., inter- 

 jireted as a species of broad geographic distribu- 

 tion in tropical America from Florida south to 

 Paraguay. 



Besides the 2 native and 2 introduced species of 

 this genus of figs described and illustrated here, 

 several others have been planted for shade and 

 ornament. Another species of jagiiey or wild fig 

 {FiruH trigonata L. ; synonyms F. crassinervia 

 Desf., F. sialilii Warb.) native in Puerto Rico and 

 Virgin Islands is characterized by stout, hairy- 

 twigs, petioles y<>-\^y2 inches long, oblong or ovate 

 leaf blades 3-6 Vo inches long and lV2-i inches 

 broad, usually rounded at both ends, and rounded 

 figlike fruits %— Ys inch in diameter, single or 

 paired on stalks of Vg-^ inch. 



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