This species has been considered to be no more than a synonym of Ficus citrifolia by many authors. However, most recent treatments, including the on-line 'Flora do Brasil' in 2013 and 'Funk, V. A., P. E. Berry, S. Alexander, T. H. Hollowell & C. L. Kelloff. 2007. Checklist of the Plants of the Guiana Shield (Venezuela: Amazonas, Bolivar, Delta Amacuro; Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana). Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 55: 1-584.; treat it as a distinct species.
The information on habit and habitat from 'Fruits of the Guianan Flora'[] are for Ficus citrifolia, but are included here due to the lack of more specific informatiom[].

Common Name:

General Information

Ficus amazonica is an evergreen shrub to small tree growing up to 16 metres tall. It often starts life as an epiphyte in the branch of a tree and can eventually send down aerial roots that, once they reach the ground, provide extra nutrients that help the plant grow more vigorously. These aerial roots can completely encircle the trunk of the host tree, constricting its growth - this, coupled with the more vigorous top growth, can lead to the fig outcompeting and killing the tree in which it is growing[].
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local medicinal use.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas.

Habitat

Ridge and riverine forests, sandy river banks and rock savannahs[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	10.00 m
Pollinators	Wasps
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Fig trees have a unique form of fertilization, each species relying on a single, highly specialized species of wasp that is itself totaly dependant upon that fig species in order to breed. The trees produce three types of flower; male, a long-styled female and a short-styled female flower, often called the gall flower. All three types of flower are contained within the structure we usually think of as the fruit.
The female fig wasp enters a fig and lays its eggs on the short styled female flowers while pollinating the long styled female flowers. Wingless male fig wasps emerge first, inseminate the emerging females and then bore exit tunnels out of the fig for the winged females. Females emerge, collect pollen from the male flowers and fly off in search of figs whose female flowers are receptive. In order to support a population of its pollinator, individuals of a Ficus spp. must flower asynchronously. A population must exceed a critical minimum size to ensure that at any time of the year at least some plants have overlap of emmission and reception of fig wasps. Without this temporal overlap the short-lived pollinator wasps will go locally extinct[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

An exudate from the stem is used in the treatment of pain, swelling and abcesses[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -

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