Flora Palaestina Ethnobotany

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Family

Moraceae

Synonym(s)

English name(s)

Sycomore Fig

Hebrew Name(s)

fiqus ha-shiqma

פִיקוּס הַשִּׁקְמָה

Arabic Name(s)

hamat حماط
jummaiz جميز

Life Form

Tree

Habitat

Humid habitats

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Medicinal Complaints / Uses

Ficus sycomorus L.

System/State	Traditional Complaint/Use	Activity / Interpretation	Traditional Preparation/ Administration	Parts Used	Source
Dermatological	Eczema	Anti-inflammatory	Spread fresh latex on affected area.	Latex	Z
Dermatological	Herpes zoster	Anti-herpetic	Spread fresh latex on affected area.	Latex	Z
Dermatological	Skin diseases	Non-specific	Apply milky sap externally until condition improves.	Sap	B
Dermatological	Tinea infection; "Hazaz"	Anti-fungal	Wet cotton with milky juice (latex) oozing from broken twigs & rub over affected area; repeat several times.	Latex	Z
Gastrointestinal	Diarrhea & bloody diarrhea	Anti-Infective, Anti-diarrheal	Diarrhea: Crush dried leaves to powder & drink + water. Bloody diarrhea: Preparation/ Admin not specified..	Leaf	Z
Gastrointestinal	Stomach poisoning	Anti-Infective	Preparation/ Admin. not specified.	Leaf	Z
Gastrointestinal	Vomiting	Anti-emetic	Preparation/ Admin not specified.	Leaf	Z
Helminth infections	Worms	Anthelmintic, Vermifuge	Preparation/ Admin. not specified.	Leaf	Z

Notes

The latex is a milky juice which is part of the sap, & is a natural sticky polymer exuding from different plant parts containing various phytochemicals etc. Both sap & latex are used here interchangeably

Cautions

Ficus genus contains species whose latex (milky exudate) can cause conjunctivitis if in contact with the eyes & phytophotodermatitis, a potentially serious skin inflammation after exposed to ultraviolet light. Psoralens in fruit in very high doses are reported to cause photodermatitis in pregnancy.

The authors of FLORAPALE, (Flora Palaestina Ethnobotanical) web site do not take responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of the plants described here. Always seek advice from a health professional before using a plant medicinally or for other purposes. See DISCLAIMER.