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Background: Ficus microcarpa L. fil. (Syn: Ficus retusa) (Moraceae) is well-known traditional medicinal plant. The bark is used for diverse health ailments in traditional and folklore remedies. Aims: The present study was undertaken to lay down pharmacognostical and phytochemical standards. Materials and Methods: Pharmacognostic studies on fresh, dried and powdered bark was carried out to determine it's morphological, anatomical, and phytochemical diagnostic features. Furthermore, major phytoconstituents were identified from the extracts with the help of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) study. Results: The morphology showed to be soft, brittle, rough, shallow vertical, irregularly oriented fissures, curved surface; with splintering, laminated fracture. Microscopically F. microcarpa showed all general characteristics of bark with some distinct differentiation. The phellem is thin and even, phelloderm few cell and rectangular and followed by smaller sclerides, the phloem rays are broad, multi-serrate and showed the scattered bundles of sclerides. The fluorescence and physicochemical standards for bark were established. HPLC analysis showed the predominant presence of therapeutically important phytoconstituents such as oleanolic, betulinic acid, lupeol, β-sitosterol, catechin, and gallic acid. Conclusion: The bark of F. microcarpa considered equivalent to other Ficus species, such as Ficus virens, Ficus infectoria, Ficus arnottiana, Ficus lacor, and Ficus talboti. However, there is no pharmacognostical and phytochemical reports on F. microcarpa to authenticate and differentiate it from similar species. Present work has described pharmacognostical and phytochemical characteristics of F. microcarpa and diagnostic features to differentiate it.

Ridwan M, Pamungkas DW. 2015. Diversity of trees around the springs in Panekan Sub-district, Magetan, East Java. Pros Sem Nas Masy Biodiv Indon 1: 1375-1379. Natural water sources usually appear on areas with certain vegetation conditions. Panekan Sub-district has a lot of water springs that are still natural with dense vegetation in the surrounding areas. The purpose of this study was to identify species of trees commonly found in the spring in the Sub-district of Panekan, Magetan, East Java. The method used was an exploration to capture any kind of trees in a radius of 20 meters around the springs. The results showed as many as 29 species of trees from 16 families found around the springs in Sub-district of Panekan. The dominant species was Moraceae group such as Ficus microcarpa, Ficus elastica, Ficus retusa, Ficus racemosa, Ficus annulata and Ficus benjamina.

The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of container volume, container shape, and copper-coating containers on root and shoot growth during nursery production and after establishment in the field. Liners of ficus (Ficus retusa L. ‘Nitida’), a fibrous-rooted species, and Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi.), a coarse-rooted species, were grown in regular or tall #1 containers in a glasshouse and were subsequently transplanted to the field or into #3 or #5 regular or tall containers. During the nursery phase, copper-coated containers improved rootball quality of ficus and pepper, but biomass production was not affected consistenly by copper coating. Tall, narrow versus regular containers restricted pepper growth throughout the nursery phase and field establishment, but had little effect on ficus. Biomass production of pepper trees was greatest in regular-shaped containers, and tall containers reduced growth consistently. Container shape did not affect shoot growth of ficus. The larger container volume of the #5 yielded greater total biomass of pepper and root dry weight of ficus during nursery production than did #3 pots. In the field, shoot dry weight of ficus was greatest when previously grown in #5 containers, and total biomass of pepper was greatest in both regular #3 or #5 containers.

Ficus retusa Linnaeus, Systema Naturae, ed. 12, 2: 681; Mantissa Plantarum: 129. 1767. "Habitat in India." RCN: 7724. Lectotype (Corner in Gard. Bull. Straits Settlem. 17: 393. 1960): Herb. Linn. No. 1240.10 (LINN). Current name: Ficus retusa L. (Moraceae)., Published as part of Jarvis, Charlie, 2007, Chapter 7: Linnaean Plant Names and their Types (part F), pp. 516-528 in Order out of Chaos. Linnaean Plant Types and their Types, London :Linnaean Society of London in association with the Natural History Museum on page 520, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.291971

A greater percentage of yellow ficus ( Ficus retusa ‘Nitida’) seedlings die out at the nursery production stage as they can be stressed easily. Rooting time is slow (30-60 DAP) and any disturbance in the root system could be fatal. Some die without any reason. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the rooting, growth and sustainability of yellow ficus in varying growth media to determine the efficient growth media for its propagation. A cutting of yellow ficus each with eight (8) nodes was planted per black polythene nursery bag each filled with different growth media. The growth media utilised were: topsoil alone, sawdust alone, topsoil + cow dung (4:1), topsoil + poultry manure (4:1), cow dung + sawdust (1:4), sawdust + poultry manure + topsoil (1:1:3) and sawdust + cow dung + topsoil (1:1:3). The experimental design was Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications. Significantly (P sawdust alone (15.18, 12.78) > sawdust + cow dung + topsoil (1:1:3) (8.35, 6.80) > topsoil + cow dung (4:1), (8.79, 4.71) > topsoil + poultry manure (4:1) (5.24., 4.65) > cow dung + sawdust (1:4) (3.00, 3.36) at both plantings. The growth medium Sawdust + cow dung + topsoil (1:1:3) significantly (at P topsoil alone (0.12, 0.13); > topsoil + cow dung (4:1) (0.11, 0.12) > topsoil + poultry manure (4:1) (0.11, 0.10). Significant growth media influences on the number of branches and branch lengths of this plant were observed. Sawdust + cow dung + topsoil (1:1:3) medium most favorably supported establishment and sustenance of yellow ficus plants. Keywords : Ficus, Potting media, response, seedlings, sustenance, vegetative growth.