Dye fig facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dye fig
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Moraceae
Genus:	Ficus
Subgenus:	F. subg. Sycidium
Species:	F. tinctoria
Binomial name
Ficus tinctoria G.Forst.
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The Dye fig, also known as Ficus tinctoria or humped fig, is a special kind of tree. It starts its life growing on another plant, like a vine, but later grows its own roots into the ground. This makes it a hemiepiphyte. It's also known as a strangler fig because its roots can grow around a host tree, sometimes even taking its place!

This amazing tree can be found in many places. It grows across Asia, Malesia, northern Australia, and the beautiful islands of the South Pacific. You'll often find it in wet valleys.

How the Dye Fig Grows

Dye figs often start growing on palm trees. Their roots can join together to form a strong network. This network can even support the fig tree on its own. However, if the tree it's growing on dies or rots away, the dye fig might fall too.

In Australia, the dye fig is a medium-sized tree. It has smooth, oval-shaped green leaves. These leaves are a bit unusual because they are often not perfectly even on both sides. You can often spot dye figs growing in rocky areas or on top of large boulders.

Uses of the Dye Fig

The dye fig is very useful! Its small, rust-brown fruits are special. They are used to make a red dye. This dye has been used for a long time to color fabrics in parts of Oceania and Indonesia. Imagine wearing clothes colored by a tree!

The fruit is also good to eat. It's a very important food source for people living on the low-lying islands called atolls in Micronesia and Polynesia.