Ficus_introduction

Introduction to Ficus (fig trees)

(Life; Embryophyta (plants); Angiospermae (flowering plants); Eudicotyledons; Order: Rosales; Family: Moraceae)

There are about 755 fig tree species worldwide, with around 511 of them occurring in the Indo-Australasian region (Asia, Malesia, Pacific islands and Australia) and approximately 132 in the Neotropical region (Central and South America). In the Afrotropical region (Africa south of the sahara, including Madagascar) there are currently 112 recognised species, 36 of which are indigenous to southern Africa (25 species in South Africa).
Ficus dryepondtiana Photo © Simon van Noort (Iziko)	Ficus tremula tremula Photo © Simon van Noort (Iziko)
The idea of this web site has been bouncing around among fig biologists for a number of years, and now that it has crystallised we envisage that it will become a comprehensive resource for information on the world's fig tree species. The content of these pages has been largely drawn from Kees Berg's revisions of Afrotropical Ficus species - numerous publications (see references) culminating in the regional treatment on African fig trees and fig wasps (Berg & Wiebes 1992). Kees Berg (Norwegian Arboretum, University of Bergen) has recently prepared a treatise of the Malesian Ficus for the Flora Malesiana and is currently preparing a treatise of the Neotropical Ficus species for the Flora Neotropica. Both Kees Berg and Stefan Ungricht (CBGP-INRA) have been instrumental in assisting with the compilation of the Indo-Australasian and Neotropical checklists.

Ficus politoria Photo © Jean-Yves Rasplus

Ficus brachyclada Photo © Jean-Yves Rasplus

On this site each species of Ficus has its own page. These pages have been designed and layed out so that they will print on A4 size paper. The rational is to provide an online resource that can be printed to produce a self-compiled field guide for a specific geographical area. This guide can then be used to facilitate the identification of fig species in the field and promote the collection of the associated fig wasp fauna from correctly identified host fig species.

Access to the fig species pages can either be via the alphabetical index, hierarchical classification or via the checklists for specific regions and countries. Once within the species pages, navigation can proceed from one species directly to the next most closely related species (ordering follows Berg in Berg & Wiebes 1992). At the moment species coverage is limited to the Afrotropical region, but page development for the rest of the world's fig species is in progress. Ultimately, we aim to have complete coverage of all Ficus species. If you have photographs of fig species not yet included and would like to contribute to this web site, please e-mail Simon van Noort.