Description
A fig tree with rough, sandpaper-textured leaves traditionally used for scouring and polishing.
Medicinal Uses
Leaves, bark, and roots are used across West Africa for hypertension, difficult childbirth, rheumatism, cough, ulcers, and wounds; the abrasive leaves are also used to scarify skin before applying medicine.
Food Uses
The fruit is edible and is chewed to relieve indigestion.
Cultivation
A forest and farmland tree; the dried leaves are used as sandpaper for woodworking and to scour cooking utensils.
