Weeping or Java Fig

Ficus benjamina var, comosa

Beng: PakuR (to disambiguate, Ficus virens is also known as pakuR in Bengali)

Mid-sized handsome evergreen fig tree with small glossy dark green elliptical leaves with a protruded pointy leaf, and very limited areal roots.

Bark: Pale grey, smooth

Leaf: Small, dark green elliptical, with protruded pointy tip. Alternately and widely arranged.

Fig: around 2cm across flask-shaped, deep yellow or orangish when ripe, arranged in pairs

Season: New leaves are produces in early summer, along with the figs that mature by mid-summer. Second crop of figs mature in August.

Range/habitat: It is found in most of the wetter forests of India (but probably not in lower gangetic plain) where it is planted occasionally.

Trivia and notes: All the older weeping figs that are there in Rabindra Sarobabr are of verity comosa. The one that produce deep yellow figs. I have not seen var nuda with red fig. Of later there are a few hybrid / cultivars that have been planted.

Where to Find: In the north east section closed to a labelled “shisham” tree (22.51110N, 88.36346E)