Ficus elmeri Merr.

Shrub or tree up to 12 m tall. Branchlets often drying dark red-brown. Leafy twigs 2-6 mm thick, minutely whitish hispidulous to puberulous, ± scabrous or smooth; internodes solid. Leaves distichous; lamina ovate to subovate to elliptic to oblong, 5-20(-32) by 3-10(-14) cm, strongly asymmetric, subcoriaceous to chartaceous, apex acuminate, base strongly inequilateral, at the broad side cordate to subcordate with the lobe sometimes covering the petiole, at the narrow side cordate to cuneate, margin irregularly crenate dent(icul)ate to subentire, ± revolute; upper surface hispidulous, scabrous, lower surface rather densely to sparsely whitish puberulous to subhispidulous to minutely hispidulous on the veins, ± scabrous; cystoliths on both sides; lateral veins (4-)6-10 pairs, the basal pair up to 1/3-1/2 the length of the lamina, (at least) the basal lateral veins at the broad side branched, usually also several other lateral veins branched or furcate, tertiary venation scalariform; waxy glands in the axils of both basal lateral veins, and at the broad side of the lamina also in the axil of the lateral vein below the main basal one, these two glands often extended to the middle of the midrib and fused, the gland in the axil of the basal vein at the narrow side often inconspicuous; petiole 0.5-1.5(-2) cm long, slightly different to almost equal in length on the same twig, (minutely) whitish hispidulous to puberulous, the epidermis persistent; stipules amplexicaul, 0.4-1(-1.2) cm long, minutely (appressed-)puberulous, often only on the keel and ciliolate, caducous. Figs axillary or just below the leaves, solitary or paired, or ramiflorous to cauliflorous, on (clusters of) up to 1 cm long branches with short internodes; peduncle 0.5-1(-2) cm long; peduncular bracts 3, scattered, 2 subopposite, or 3 verticillate, c. 1 mm long, only ciliolate; receptacle subglobose, 0.8-1.5 cm diam. when dry, densely whitish puberulous to sparsely hispidulous, smooth to scabridulous, without lateral bracts, yellow to red at maturity, apex convex, ostiole c. 4 mm diam., the apical and outer ostiolar bracts pointing upwards, constituting a small rosette; internal hairs abundant to few. Tepals dark red, glabrous. Styles glabrous.

It is a tropical plant.

UsesIn cultivation because of the good taste of the figs.