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Ficus_saussureana

Ficus saussureana De Candolle 1841

 

(Life; Embryophyta (plants); Angiospermae (flowering plants); Eudicotyledons; Order: Rosales; Family: Moraceae; Genus: Ficus; Subgenus: Urostigma; Section: Galoglychia; Subsection: Galoglychia)

Ficus_saussureana Ficus_saussureana
Ficus_saussureana Ficus_saussureana
Ficus_saussureana Ficus_saussureana

Distribution

Distribution_of_Ficus_saussureana

Guinea to Southern Sudan, W. Kenya and NW Tanzania.

Biology

Pollinator: Allotriozoon prodigiosum Grandi.

Habitat

Forest, often riverine forest, up to 1600m, often planted.

Non-pollinator: Philocaenus cavus van Noort.

Description

(after C.C. Berg in Berg & Wiebes, 1992):

Biological form

tree up to 20 m tall, hemi-epiphytic or terrestrial with spreading crown

Leaves

shape & colour

oblong to subobovate to oblanceolate, coriaceous, apex acuminate, base acute to obtuse, upper surface glabrous, lower surface puberulous to hirtellous

 

size

(10)15-50 x 3-17(25) cm

 

lateral veins

12-20 pairs, tertiary venation partly scalariform

 

petiole

1-8(16) cm long, 4-7 mm thick, epidermis flaking off

Stipules

1-8 cm (flush up to 12 cm), brown to yellowish pubescent, caducous/subpersistent

Figs

position

in pairs or up to 3 together in the leaf axils

 

shape

subglobose or obovoid, Ø 2-4 cm (fresh), subhirsute to villous, yellow to reddish

 

peduncle

none, fig subsessile

 

basal bracts

7-15 mm long, persistent

References

Berg, C.C. 1986. The Ficus species (Moraceae) of Madagascar and the Comore Islands. Bulletin du Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle d’Histoire Naturelle. Paris (4), 8: 17-55.

Berg, C.C. 1988. New taxa and combinations in Ficus (Moraceae) in Africa. Kew Bulletin 43: 77- 97.

Berg, C.C. 1989. Moraceae. In: R.M. Polhill (ed.) Flora of Tropical East Africa. A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam.

Berg, C.C. 1990. Distribution of African taxa of Ficus (Moraccae). [Proc. 12th AETFAT]. Mitt. inst. Allg. Bot. Hamburg 23: 401-405.

Berg, C.C. 1990. Annotated check-list of the Ficus species of the African floristic region, with special reference and a key to the taxa of southern Africa. Kirkia, 13: 253-291.

Berg, C.C. 1991. Moraceae. In: E. Launert & G.Y. Pope (eds) Flora Zambesiaca 9, 6. Natural History Museum, London.

Berg, C.C. & Hijman, M.E.E. 1989. Chapter 11. Ficus. Flora of Tropical East Africa (ed. R.M. Polhill). 43-86. A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam.

Berg, C.C., Hijman, M.E.E. & Weerdenburg, J.C.A. 1984. Moracées (incl. Cécropiacées). Flore du Gabon 26: 1276.

Berg, C.C., Hijman, M.E.E. & Weerdenburg, J.C.A. 1985. Moracées (incl. Cécropiacées). Flore du Cameroun 28: 1298.

Berg, C.C. & Wiebes, J.T. 1992. African fig trees and fig wasps. Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen. Amsterdam, 1-298 pp.

Burrows, J. & Burrows, S. 2003. Figs of southern & south-central Africa. Umdaus Press, Hatfield. 379 pp.

Credits

Photographs © Jean-Yves Rasplus (INRA) or © Simon van Noort (Iziko Museums of South Africa).

Next species

Ficus chlamydocarpa chlamydocarpa Mildbr. & Burret

Web authors Simon van Noort (Iziko South African Museum)

and Jean-Yves Rasplus (INRA, France)

 

Citation: van Noort, S. & Rasplus, JY. 2024. Figweb: figs and fig wasps of the world. URL: www.figweb.org(Accessed on <day-month-year>).

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