Hawili

Ficus is the Latin term for fig, also a name for their fruit, which are of syconium type. A syconium has many unisexual flowers that are inwardly blooming or produces flowers from the inside. With that, pollen grain delivery (or pollination) occurs with the help of Cerastolen sp. wasps. The female wasp bores into an immature male fig and leaves her eggs inside where these wasps hatch and chew out a tunnel once matured. The species name, on the other hand, is a Latin word for septica and translates to infected --OOOH, nasty!

But wait! Its medicinal uses include leaves externally applied as antirheumatic, decoction of roots as diuretic, poultice of roots for boils, fresh leaves when bruised with oil are used for headaches, roots are used for neutralizing toxins and prevention of asthma, fruits are used as laxatives, latex used for herpes. Ifugao tribes are said to use it for diarrhea, cough, malaria, and stomach problems.

In a study published by Huang, et al. in 2017, they also found out that extracts of Hawili can be a candidate antiviral drug against dengue virus. Moreover, frugivorous bats and birds feed on Hawili fruits and help disperse their seeds on the tropical forest floor through their droppings.

Fortunately, its current population trend is stable, placing its conservation status in the Least Concern category. Yay!