Ficus deltoidea Jack
Family
Moraceae
Synonyms
Ficus diversifolia Blume, Ficus lutescens Desf., Ficus motleyana Miq.
Vernacular Names
| Malaysia | Ara burong, ara jelateh, ara tanah (Peninsular). |
| English | Rusty-leaved bush fig, mistletoe fig. |
| Indonesia | Tabat barito (General). |
Geographical Distributions
Ficus deltoidea is distributed in Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Philippines (Palawan) and Sulawesi introduced in Indo-China, India and Pakistan.
Description
Ficus deltoidea is an evergreen epiphyte or small shrub, up to 2 m tall. The leaves are obovate to elliptical or obdeltoid, with a size of 2.5-8 cm x 1.3-7.5 cm. Leaf base is broadly wedge-shaped, blunt to truncate or widely notched apex, rarely pointed, entire margin, white-spotted above, rusty or yellow-olive underneath, the midrib is sometimes forked and stipules are 8-12 mm long.
The figs (fruits) are axillary, solitary or paired, spherical to oblong, 5-10 mm in diametre and they are ripening to orange or red.
The male flowers are dispersed, with 2-3 free tepals and 2 stamens while the female flowers are sessile to subsessile and with 3-4 tepals.
Ecology / Cultivation
It is common in lowlands and mountains, up to 3200 m altitude, generally occurring as an epiphyte, but as a terrestrial bush on sandy shores and mountain tops and bogs.
Line Drawing / Photograph
Read More
1) Cultivation
References
- Plant Resources of South-East Asia No.12(1): Medicinal and poisonous plants 1.
