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Family • Moraceae
Botgo
Ficus stipulosa Miq.

Scientific names Common names
Ficus stipulosa Miq. Balete (Tag., Ibn., Bon., P. Bis.)
Ficus infectoria Merr. Botgo (Bik.)
Ficus caulobotrya Vidal Bubulung (Sbl.)
Ficus caulocarpa F.-Vill. Kuba (Ting.)
Ficus infectoria Roxb. var caulocarpa King Magamano (Bag.)
Urostigma stipulosa Miq. Nonok (P. Bis.)
Urostigma caulocarpum Miq. Pasapla (Ilk.)
  Puspus (Ting.)
  Sanglau (Ilk.)
   
Worldwide there are over 800 species of the genus Ficus (Latin: fig) and of the more than 10 species found in the Philippines, Balete is a shared common name for six of them: (1) Ficus benjamina, salisi (2) Ficus elastica , Indian rubber tree (3) Ficus indica, baleteng-baging (4) Ficus payapa, payapa (5) Ficus retusa, marabutan, and (6) Ficus stipulosa, botgo.

Botany
Botgo is a deciduous tree, starting as an epiphyte, later growing to 10 meters high. Leaves are smooth, entire and shining, oblong, 12 to 20 cm long, with tapering pointed tip and usually rounded base, with the petioles 5 to 7 cm long. Stipules are membraneous, pink, oblong, about 8 cm long. Receptacles are solitary, in pairs, or in fascicles in the axils of the leaves and in the axils of the fallen leaves on the ultimate branchlets, short-pedicelled, nearly spherical, about 5 mm in diameter, often in great abundance, 3-bracteate at the base.

Distribution
Endemic species, common in thickets and forests at low and medium altitudes throughout the Philippines.

Properties
 Vulnerary.

Parts used
Fresh roots

Uses
Folkloric
- Fresh roots used as poultice on wounds.
- In Ayurveda, decoction of root barks of four Ficus species - F. religiosa, F. benghalensis, F. glomerulata, and F. infectoria - called Pancha valkala kashaya isused as a gargle in salivation, as wash for ulcers and as an injection for leucorrhea.

Availability
Wild-crafted.

June 2011
IMAGE SOURCE: Ficus infectoria Roxb. / [Bildquelle: Kirtikar-Basu, ©1918] / Payer.de

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Anhang A: Pflanzenbeschreibungen / Ficus infectoria Roxb. /

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