I.2. Botanical review of experimental plant: Ficus ovata
I.2.1. Botanical Aspect of
Moraceae
The family of Moraceae belongs to plant kingdom, branch of
phanerogames, sub-branch of angiosperm, class of dicotyledonous, sub-class of
monochlamides and order of urticals. It takes its name from the genus Murier or
Morus in Latin and in Greek it is called Moreas. Moraceae are constituted of
trees, sub-trees or herbs which can be dioic or monoic with or without a latex
(Mensbruge, 1966). The leaves are disposed in a spiral form;
their nervation is palmated, pinnated or radial. The young ones of Moraceae
plants are characterised by their first leaves which is simple opposite or
sub-opposite (Human et al., 1985). Their unisexual
flowers are dioic or monoic and it is fixed on the plant directly. The fruits
are dehiscent; the grains which are with or without endosperms have equal or
unequal cotyledons. This family of Moraceae counts about 50 genus and 900 to
1000 species. In Cameroon, about 13 genus and 99 species, are represented and
amongst the most spread genus we have; Morus, Artocapus, Ficus and Dorstenia
(Chang et al., 1998).
I.2.2. Botanical Aspect of the
genus Ficus
Ficus or fig tree is the name of some shrubs or trees of the
family Moraceae producing a milky juice and best known for their fleshy and
edible fruits. Leaf shape is very variable. The shape may be whole or lobed and
the edges rough or smooth. In some tropical species, leaf shape changes during
growth of the tree. The flowers are minute and unisexual (male or female), they
cluster on flat or hollow receptacle. Male flowers have one or two stamens,
rarely more. In female flowers, the stamens are numerous and pedicellate. In
fact, the shape of fruit that develops from inflorescences is varied. The
seeds, embedded in the fruit are very numerous. The ovary of Ficus has a
lateral style. The branches are covered with a fluffy greenish grey bark. The
Ficus is found mainly in tropical forests, but they also exist in temperate
regions, especially around Mediterranean (Tchinda et al.,
2010). The genus Ficus includes 850 species of which about 60 are
present in Cameroon (Sabatie, 1985).
I.2.3. Botanical Aspect of Ficus
ovata
Ficus ovata, another plant of the Ficus
specie found in the savanna woodland, forest edges, river side forest and
secondary forest, up to an altitude of 2100 m is distributed in the subtropical
Africa. Ficus species is known as elephant tree and Punjab in English
(Hanelt et al., 2001), Ficus ovata is use
widely for street ornament in Dakar in Senegal (Kuete et al.,
2009). In Africa, Ficus ovata is found in Senegal, southern
Ethiopia, Kenya, North of Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, and Cameroon.
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Figure 8 : Ficus ovata (Tchinda et
al., 2010)
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· Life;embryophyta(plant);angiospermae
(flowering plant);eudicotyledons
· Order;Rosales
· Family.Moraceae
· Genus;Ficus
· Subgenus;Urogstigma
· Section;Galoglychia
· Subsection;Caulocarpae
· Specie; ovata
· Botanique name; Ficus ovata
Common name; punjab
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The
sites of Ficus ovata in Cameroon (Aubreville,
1964) include Dschang, Bafang , Limbe, Bayangam,
Nkongsamba, Meiganga, Maroua, Bipindi, Yaounde.
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