Ficus ilicina
| Laurel fig | |
|---|---|
 | |
| In the Naukluft, Namibia | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Moraceae |
| Genus: | Ficus |
| Species: | F. ilicina |
| Binomial name | |
| Ficus ilicina (Sond.) Miq. 1864 | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
The Laurel fig is a species of rock-splitting[2] fig that is native to the semi-desert regions of southwestern Africa. It is only found on rocks,[3] up to an altitude of 1,300m.[4]
Description
It is generally a scrambler on rocks, but also a medium-sized shrub, or rarely a large tree of 5 m tall or over.[3] It is mostly evergreen, though a few are bare in spring, just before new foliage emerges. The elliptic leaves are more than twice as long as they are wide, shiny above and mat below.[3] The sessile or stalked figs are produced in the summer months. They are about 1 cm in diameter and appear in the leaf axils near the branch tips.[3]
Range
It occurs in southwestern Angola, the Nambian escarpment and Khomas hochland, and in the Northern Cape, South Africa.
Species associations
The pollinating wasp is Elisabethiella enriquesi (Grandi).[4] The figs are eaten by birds and people.[3]
References
- ↑ "Ficus ilicina (Sond.) Miq., Synonyms". The Plant List. 2013. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
- ↑ Burring, Jan. "Ficus abutilifolia (Miq.) Miq.". plantzafrica.com. SANBI. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Curtis, B., Mannheimer, C. (2005). "Ficus ilicina, Rock-splitting Fig". Tree Atlas of Namibia. National Botanical Research Institute, Windhoek. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
- 1 2 Van Noort, S., Rasplus, J. "Ficus ilicina (Sonder) Miquel 1867". Figweb. Iziko Museums. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
External links
- Dressler, S.; Schmidt, M. & Zizka, G. (2014). [http://www.africanplants.senckenberg.de/root/index.php?submitForm=true&page_id=77&searchTextMenue=Ficus+ilicina&filterRegionIDs[]=6&filterRegionIDs[]=1&filterRegionIDs[]=2&filterRegionIDs[]=3&filterRegionIDs[]=5 "Ficus ilicina"]. African plants – a Photo Guide. Frankfurt/Main: Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg.