Ficus abutilifolia (Miquel) Miquel 1867

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

Distribution

Two disjunct populations: a northern one extending from Somali to Guinea and a southern one: NE South Africa, Zimbabwe, E Botswana, W Mozambique, Malawi, E Zambia, SE Democratic Republic of Congo & SW Tanzania.

Biology

Pollinator: Nigeriella fusciceps Wiebes (northern population).

Pollinator: Elisabethiella comptoni Wiebes (southern population).

Comments

Ficus abutilifolia as currently defined probably constitutes two good species - one comprising the northern population and the other the southern population. Botanically the two populations are morphologically distinct (Berg 1992), and ecologically, gene flow is delimited, as each population has a distinct species of pollinating fig wasp.

Habitat

Savanna woodland or bushveld, usually on rocks, up to an altitude of 1000m.

Credits

Photographs Simon van Noort © Iziko Museums of Cape Town

Web editing: Aisha Mayekiso

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Web page development and text by Simon van Noort (Iziko South African Museum)

and Jean-Yves Rasplus (INRA, France)

Copyright 2004-2008 Iziko Museums of Cape Town