The rock fig is useful as a container plant or as a landscape ornamental tree (6). Like many members of the Moraceae family, it is also used medicinally to treat fever, ulcers, wounds, and fractures (3). A decoction of the roots treats dehydration as well as fever, chest pain, and serves as a purgative and vomitive agent (5). The latex from the sap is applied topically as a treatment for lip sores and chronic ulcers (5). The latex obtained from the plant contains 15% caoutchouc (natural rubber), 55% of an alcohol-soluble resin, and 5% of an ether soluble resin (5) which is elastic, ductile and adhesive (5). When it is exposed to air it becomes hard (5). For this reason, it is used by medically for set broken bones or to treat hernias (5). Aerial roots are used in making suspension bridges and the bark is a source of fiber used in the manufacture of paper (5). Fig trees have a unique form of fertilization, each species relies on a single, highly specialized species of wasp that is itself dependent upon that fig species to breed (5). In the case of Ficus petiolaris, the pollinator is a Pegoscapus wasp (5). The fig tree produces three different flower types inside a structure that resembles a fruit, called the syconium(5). The syconium contains a male flower, a long-styled female flower and a short-styled female flower (called the “gall flower”) (5). The female fig wasp enters the syconium, lays its eggs on the short styled female flowers and pollinates the long styled female flowers (5). When the eggs hatched, wingless male wasps inseminate the females and then bore an exit tunnels out of the fig (5). Winged females use the exit tunnels to emerge, and in the process of exiting pick up pollen from the male flowers before flying in search of figs whose female flowers are receptive (5). In this way, they pollinate and stimulate fruit production in the fig tree while also accomplishing their own reproduction (5).
