A little mallsai Ficus....

Redwood Ryan · Jan 3, 2014

Hi everyone,

Picked up this little guy yesterday at the grocery store I work at. It's just your usual mallsai Ficus with tuber roots, but I thought it'd be fun to just mess around with another Ficus. What else is new, right? It looks to be a 'Green Gem' microcarpa, but I'm not 100% set on that. I noticed it had backbud on its tubers, which really made me buy it.

Here's the tree as purchased:

I removed the small upper tuber:

Trimmed back the growth:

And repotted it:

Not a bad start for a cheap little tree, eh?

edprocoat · Jan 3, 2014

You sure its not a Ginseng Ficus? or is "green gem" another name for Ginseng.

ed

Redwood Ryan · Jan 3, 2014

edprocoat said:
You sure its not a Ginseng Ficus? or is "green gem" another name for Ginseng.

ed

Ginseng isn't a species, it's just the name given to this kind of Ficus with these tubers.

Klytus · Jan 3, 2014

Tubers are more for Potatoes.

edprocoat · Jan 3, 2014

Redwood Ryan said:
Ginseng isn't a species, it's just the name given to this kind of Ficus with these tubers.

Gee, cute answer. I only asked as I have never heard of "green gem" before. What specie do you prefer to call a ginseng, Ficus Microcarpa, Taiwan ficus maybe Chinese Banyan or do you relate these names to one of the hundred or more Ficus that are covered under these general "species" name umbrella. I actually looked up "green gem Ficus" after your rude retort and according to the University of Florida IFAS extension http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/st256 the green gem is the Cuban laurel a Ficus Retusa, so I guess you did not know either. Since we are being rude and petty certain Ficus may have fat roots although they are never classified as a "Tuber"

ed

Cypress · Jan 3, 2014

edprocoat said:
Gee, cute answer. I only asked as I have never heard of "green gem" before. What specie do you prefer to call a ginseng, Ficus Microcarpa, Taiwan ficus maybe Chinese Banyan or do you relate these names to one of the hundred or more Ficus that are covered under these general "species" name umbrella. I actually looked up "green gem Ficus" after your rude retort and according to the University of Florida IFAS extension http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/st256 the green gem is the Cuban laurel a Ficus Retusa, so I guess you did not know either. Since we are being rude and petty certain Ficus may have fat roots although they are never classified as a "Tuber"

ed

I didn't think that was rude at all ed. I think he was just giving you an answer. It's all in your head.

berobinson82 · Jan 4, 2014

too much mad

Redwood Ryan · Jan 4, 2014

edprocoat said:
Gee, cute answer. I only asked as I have never heard of "green gem" before. What specie do you prefer to call a ginseng, Ficus Microcarpa, Taiwan ficus maybe Chinese Banyan or do you relate these names to one of the hundred or more Ficus that are covered under these general "species" name umbrella. I actually looked up "green gem Ficus" after your rude retort and according to the University of Florida IFAS extension http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/st256 the green gem is the Cuban laurel a Ficus Retusa, so I guess you did not know either. Since we are being rude and petty certain Ficus may have fat roots although they are never classified as a "Tuber"

ed

Uh wow Ed. Please forgive me. You know much more about Ficus than I do.

While we're at it, you're wrong. Green Gem is a cultivar of microcarpa, not retusa. Retusa is the old name for microcarpa. Get your facts right if you're going to try to blast me in such a childish way.

Take a chill pill and never reply to any of my threads again if you're going to act like such a child. You asked a simple question, I gave a simple answer.

jk_lewis · Jan 4, 2014

Actually, those are "tuberous roots." So, calling them a tuber isn't that far off the mark. Figs use them to store food for hard times (I think of ginsing Ficus as being morbidly obese.) They occur on many of the tropical fig species , but the ones commonly sold to houseplant fans are the F. microcarpa.

Redwood Ryan · Jan 4, 2014

jkl said:
Actually, those are "tuberous roots." So, calling them a tuber isn't that far off the mark. Figs use them to store food for hard times (I think of ginsing Ficus as being morbidly obese.) They occur on many of the tropical fig species , but the ones commonly sold to houseplant fans are the F. microcarpa.

Yep Jim hit the nail on the head. The trees store nutrients and water in the whatever you want to call them (cause apparently they aren't tubers to some people). They tend to shrivel up when they have a lack of water.

edprocoat · Jan 4, 2014

Redwood Ryan said:
Uh wow Ed. Please forgive me. You know much more about Ficus than I do.

While we're at it, you're wrong. Green Gem is a cultivar of microcarpa, not retusa. Retusa is the old name for microcarpa. Get your facts right if you're going to try to blast me in such a childish way.

Take a chill pill and never reply to any of my threads again if you're going to act like such a child. You asked a simple question, I gave a simple answer.

Ryan, actually you are wrong. I provided you the link to the paper written and published by the Univeristy of Florida Botany Professors , of course maybe you know more than they do.... Also I never claimed Ginseng was a " species " I clearly asked if green gem was another name for Ginseng, the supposition on your part that I stated ginseng was a species seemed like an ill informed, petty and childish straw man aimed at me to discredit my question. That's why I felt it was rude.

I never claimed to know more about Ficus than you do, I see where you are a self proclaimed " Ficus guy " I have only been keeping them for 30 + years or so and there are numerous varieties of Ficus, hence the question.

BTW these below are the professors footnotes and credentials, maybe you can share your credentials when refuting their science?

Footnotes

1.
This document is ENH415, one of a series of the Environmental Horticulture, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date November 1993. Revised December 2006. Reviewed May 2011. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2.
Edward F. Gilman, professor, Environmental Horticulture Department; Dennis G. Watson, former associate professor, Agricultural Engineering Department, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville FL 32611.

ed

edprocoat · Jan 4, 2014

Cypress said:
I didn't think that was rude at all ed. I think he was just giving you an answer. It's all in your head.

Clearly Cypress you did not put much thought into this at all. The so called answer was a misrepresentation of my question, which was clearly written in simple terms. Nowhere did I claim Ginseng was a species, attributing such falsehoods to my question about common naming conventions did indeed seem rude to me, as if designed to silence me by making me look ignorant. Re-read my question if you are lost my friend.

ed

Poink88 · Jan 5, 2014

I have one similar to this and mine is a Green Island grafted unto a "Ginseng" ficus root...but hard to tell it was grafted. You will know for sure if you let the tuber backbud grow. Mine did the same and the leaves are different.

daygan · Jan 5, 2014

edprocoat said:
Clearly Cypress you did not put much thought into this at all. The so called answer was a misrepresentation of my question, which was clearly written in simple terms. Nowhere did I claim Ginseng was a species, attributing such falsehoods to my question about common naming conventions did indeed seem rude to me, as if designed to silence me by making me look ignorant. Re-read my question if you are lost my friend.

ed

I think it was just a misunderstanding.

And if anyone cares about the technicalities, (and I had to look it up too) the nomenclature "Ginseng" refers to 11 different plants that are all in the genus "panax", whereas ficus is, of course, of the genus "ficus". [source here] That means that a Ginseng is never a Ficus. So if Ryan's tree is a ficus, then I'm sure it's not a Ginseng, "tubers" or no. Looks like a case of confusion due to a popular misnomer or inaccurate information.

Redwood Ryan · Jan 5, 2014

edprocoat said:
Ryan, actually you are wrong. I provided you the link to the paper written and published by the Univeristy of Florida Botany Professors , of course maybe you know more than they do.... Also I never claimed Ginseng was a " species " I clearly asked if green gem was another name for Ginseng, the supposition on your part that I stated ginseng was a species seemed like an ill informed, petty and childish straw man aimed at me to discredit my question. That's why I felt it was rude.

I never claimed to know more about Ficus than you do, I see where you are a self proclaimed " Ficus guy " I have only been keeping them for 30 + years or so and there are numerous varieties of Ficus, hence the question.

BTW these below are the professors footnotes and credentials, maybe you can share your credentials when refuting their science?

Footnotes

1.
This document is ENH415, one of a series of the Environmental Horticulture, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date November 1993. Revised December 2006. Reviewed May 2011. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2.
Edward F. Gilman, professor, Environmental Horticulture Department; Dennis G. Watson, former associate professor, Agricultural Engineering Department, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville FL 32611.

ed

I am 100% certain that Green Gem is in fact a cultivar of Ficus microcarpa. You said "You sure it's not a Ginseng Ficus?" How else was I supposed to take that other than assuming you thought Ginseng was a species? You had to go and overreact like a 4 year old to get to this point.

Why are you so set out on proving me wrong? Are you that much of a child? You took things way out of context and have tarnished another good thread because of your childish behavior. Please, stop commenting.

Redwood Ryan · Jan 5, 2014

edprocoat said:
as if designed to silence me by making me look ignorant.

ed

I don't think I have to do that, you seem to be doing a fine job of that by yourself.

Redwood Ryan · Jan 5, 2014

daygan said:
I think it was just a misunderstanding.

And if anyone cares about the technicalities, (and I had to look it up too) the nomenclature "Ginseng" refers to 11 different plants that are all in the genus "panax", whereas ficus is, of course, of the genus "ficus". [source here] That means that a Ginseng is never a Ficus. So if Ryan's tree is a ficus, then I'm sure it's not a Ginseng, "tubers" or no. Looks like a case of confusion due to a popular misnomer or inaccurate information.

Well no, I was trying to explain the look of this Ficus by the name that many many others call it when you do a simple Google search...

Ginseng Ficus

Redwood Ryan · Jan 5, 2014

Poink88 said:
I have one similar to this and mine is a Green Island grafted unto a "Ginseng" ficus root...but hard to tell it was grafted. You will know for sure if you let the tuber backbud grow. Mine did the same and the leaves are different.

I'm 100% sure this is a Green Gem, just not sure what the tuber foliage is. It's backbudding, but the leaves are still much too small to ID.

daygan · Jan 5, 2014

Redwood Ryan said:
Well no, I was trying to explain the look of this Ficus by the name that many many others call it when you do a simple Google search...

Ginseng Ficus

Right... so, common misnomer.

edprocoat · Jan 5, 2014

Redwood Ryan said:
I am 100% certain that Green Gem is in fact a cultivar of Ficus microcarpa. You said "You sure it's not a Ginseng Ficus?" How else was I supposed to take that other than assuming you thought Ginseng was a species? You had to go and overreact like a 4 year old to get to this point.

Why are you so set out on proving me wrong? Are you that much of a child? You took things way out of context and have tarnished another good thread because of your childish behavior. Please, stop commenting.

Why are you set on calling me a child, grow up junior. There are over 800 species of Ficus, and all SPECIES name start out denoted either " F. " Microcarpa or " Ficus " Microcarpa, you can't be that ill informed.

shewww

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