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Family • Moraceae
Balete
Ficus benjamina Linn.
WEEPING FIG
Chui ye rong

Common names   Common names  
Ficus benjamina Linn. Balete (Ilk., Tag.)  
Ficus haematocarpa Blume Salisi (Is.)  
Urostigmahaematocarpa Miq. Benjamin's fig (Engl.)  
Urostigma benjaminum Miq. Weeping fig (Engl.)  
  Weeping laurel (Engl.)  
  Chui ye rong (Chin.)
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
Balete is a strangling, smooth plant, assuming a tree form and reaching a height of 15 meters or more, with drooping branches. Leaves are leathery, oblong-ovate, 6 to 9 centimeters long, with prominent and rather slender point, rounded base, entire margins, smooth green and shining; the nerves slender and spreading, not prominent. Petioles are 5 to 10 millimeters long. Fruit is axillary, solitary, stalkless, dark-purpule and fleshy when mature, somewhat spherical, and 1 centimeters in diameter.

Distribution
- In primary forests at low and medium altitudes from northern Luzon to Mindanao, in most islands and provinces.
- Also occurs in India to southern China and Malaya.

Constituents
Bark contains 4.2 percent tannin.
Latex contains 30% caoutchouc, along with 59% resin.
Wax contains cerotic acid.

Parts utilized
Bark, root, leaves.

Uses
Folkloric
• Root, bark of root and leaves boiled in oil and applied on wounds and bruises.
• Juice ob bark used for liver diseases.
• Pounded leaves and bark applied as poultice for rheumatic headache.
Others
• Landscape: In Manila, used as an avenue and shade tree.

Studies
• Household Allergen: Ficus benjamin is a relatively common source of indoor householf allergen, with a prevalence of sensitization similar to moulds.
• Allergic / Toxic Irritative: Study showed more complaints of asthmatic bronchitis, rhinoconjunctivitis and skin symptoms among gardeners handling Ficus benjamina (weeping fig) and Hedera helix (Ivy).
• Asthma / Weeping Fig / Cross-Reactivities: Study showed hypersenstivitiy to F. benjamina may cause IgE-mediated respiratory allergy. The association with allergy to fig and papains is likely due to cross-reactive allergen structures.

Availability
Wild-crafted.

June 2011
IMAGE SOURCE: Ficus benjamina / File:Weeping Fig (Ficus benjamina) in Hyderabad, AP W IMG 7645.jpg / J M Garg / 13 July 2008 / GNU Free Documentaion License / Wikipedia

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Ficus benjamina, a new source of household environmental allergens / Alergol Inmunol Clin, July 1999 Vol. 14, No. 4, pp. 203-208
(2)
The prevalence of skin and mucosal symptoms in gardeners handling Ficus benjamina (weeping fig) and Hedera helix (ivy). A cross-sectional study / Jørs E / Esbjerg Centralsygehus, Arbejdsmedicinsk Afdeling / Ugeskr Laeger. 2003 Sep 8;165(37):3526-9.
(3)
Asthma caused by Ficus benjamina latex : evidence of cross-reactivity with fig fruit and papain / Diez-Gomez M L, Quirce S, Aragoneses E and Cuevas M / Annual Meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, San Diego, California, 1998, vol. 80, no 1, pp. 78-136
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