Balete

From WikiPilipinas: The Hip 'n Free Philippine Encyclopedia

Ficus benjamina, commonly known in the Philippines as balete, is a species of strangling plant or epiphyte that takes root in the crevices of a host tree and eventually grows into huge tree itself, completely overgrowing the host tree. It reaches a height of 15 meters or more, with drooping branches. The leaves are 6 to 9 cm long, leathery, smooth, green, oblong-ovate in shape, with a rounded base and slender point. The fruit is axiallary, solitary, stalkless, dark-purple and fleshy when mature, somewhat spherical, and 1 centimeter in diameters.

Balete is found in Northern Luzon to Mindanao, in most islands and provinces, in primary forests at low and medium altitudes. It also, along with various related subspecies, occurs in other countries like India, Southern China and Malaysia.

1 Medicinal and other uses
2 Folklore
3 Reference
4 Citation

[edit] Medicinal and other uses

Balete is planted in Manila as an excellent avenue and graceful shade tree. Rope is made in the provinces from its bark.

The bark of the balete is reported to contain 4.2 percent tannin, and the latex contains 30 percent caoutchouc, along with 59 percent resin. Wehmer records that the wax contains cerotic acid.

Nadkarni states that the bark of the root, the root itself, and the leaves boiled in oil are applied on wounds and bruises. He adds that the juice of the bark has a reputation for curing liver diseases. In rheumatic headache the pounded leaves and bark are applied as a poultice.