Ficus sycomorus
Click on each image to see a larger version and details of the record (Click here to see images of this plant from Kyffhäuser)
Image 1
Habit
27 May 2006
Image 2
Leaves
27 May 2006
Image 3
Roots clasping stem
of Boscia albitrunca
30 Apr 2011
| Family: | Moraceae |
| Full name: | Ficus sycomorus L. |
| ID status: | Fairly certain |
| Afrikaans common name(s): | Geelstamvy, Wildevy, Oosterse vy, Trosvy |
| English common name(s): | Sycamore fig, Common cluster fig, Cluster fig, Wild fig |
| Synonym(s): | Ficus sycomorus L. subsp. sycomorus Ficus integrifolia Sim (1909) Ficus scabra Sim (1909) Ficus cocculifolia Baker (1886) Sycomorus antiquorum Gasp. (1845) Sycomorus rigida Miq. Ficus trachyphylla Fenzl (1844) Ficus sycomorus subsp. gnaphalocarpa (Miq.) C.C.Berg Ficus gnaphalocarpa (Miq.) Steud. ex Miq. (1848) F.gnaphalocarpa Steud (nom nud.) mais validé par F.A.G. Miquel in London J. Bot. VII:113 (1848) Sycomorus gnaphalocarpa Miq. (1848) Ficus damarensis Engl. (1888) Sycomorus trachyphylla Miq. (1848) Ficus comorensis Warb. (1894) |
| Status: | Native |
| Description: | Tree up to 20(30) m tall, trunk short, up to c. 2 m diam., main branches spreading. Leafy twigs 2–6 mm thick, densely, minutely puberulous and with much longer, white to yellowish hairs, especially on the nodes; periderm flaking off when dry. Leaf lamina ovate to elliptic, or obovate to subcircular (1)2.5–12(21) x (0.5)2–11(16) cm, chartaceous to coriaceous, apex rounded to obtuse, base cordate sometimes obtuse, margin subentire, slightly repand or denticulate; superior surface scabrous to scabridulous, sometimes almost smooth or hispidulous to strigillose, the main veins whitish hirtellous to hirsute, inferior surface puberulous to hispidulous, the main veins sparsely whitish hirtellous to hirsute; lateral veins 5–10 pairs; petiole (0.5)1–4(6) cm long, 1–3 mm thick, densely, minutely white puberulous and with much longer white to yellowish hairs, with the periderm flaking off when dry; stipules 5–25 mm long, white puberulous to tomentose or partly hirtellous to hirsute, caducous. Figs solitary or sometimes in pairs in the leaf axils or just below the leaves on unbranched, leafless branchlets up to 20 cm long, or on branched, leafless branchlets up to 20(35) cm long, or borne on the older branches down to the trunk; peduncle 3–25 mm long, 1–3 mm thick; basal bracts 2–3 mm long. Receptacle obovoid to pyriform or subglobose, often stipitate, at least when dry, 1.5–5 cm in diam. when fresh, (1)1.5–3 cm in diam. when dry, velutinous or densely tomentose to sparsely puberulous or pubescent, sometimes almost glabrous, yellowish to reddish at maturity. (from JSTOR website / Flora Zambesiaca) Large tree up to c. 30 m tall, buttressed, with a trunk up to 3.5 m in diam.; crown spreading; bark greyish-brown, flaking, often becoming yellowish on older trunks; slash pale brown, yellowish or pinkish; latex milky white; young branches with brown bark, puberulous to pubescent or lanate, often peeling off in scales when dry. Leaves almost in 2 rows; stipules lateral, free, covering buds as scarious lanate to hirsute grey or brown scales, caducous leaving a circular fringe of whitish or brownish hairs; petiole 3–5 cm long, often with scaly peeling outer layer when dry; blade leathery, broadly ovate, elliptic or suborbicular, 3–15 x 2–10.5 cm, base rounded to narrowly cordate, margin subentire to crenulate, apex rounded, acute or shortly acuminate, dull, slightly scabrous or smooth above, scabrous or smooth, often pubescent below, with 4–8 pairs of lateral veins. Figs 1–2 together, either on clusters of leafless branchlets on the trunk or older branches or in the axil of normal leaves, on peduncles up to 1.5 cm long; basal bracts 3, ovate to triangular, 3–4 mm long, puberulous; receptacle pear-shaped, obovoid or subglobose, often stipitate, 1.8–2.5(–5) x 1–2 cm, puberulous to tomentose; ostiole prominent, with 3–5 clearly visible triangular ostiolar bracts. (from JSTOR website / Flora Somalia) A large tree with spreading crown; young branchlets with a circle of long slender hairs just below the node, otherwise glabrous or nearly so; leaves suborbicular or ovate-orbicular, rounded or obtuse at the apex, cordate or rounded at the base, 2–5 in. long, 1.75–3.5 in. broad, subentire or slightly undulately toothed, dull and glabrous on both surfaces or minutely puberulous below, sometimes slightly scabrous, palmately nerved at the base; midrib prominent below, continued to the apex of the blade; principal pair of basal nerves ascending to above the middle of the leaf-blade, with 8–10 lateral nerves on their lower sides; remaining lateral nerves about 3 on each side of the midrib, diverging from it at an angle of about 40 deg., distinct on both surfaces, prominent below, bifurcate near the margin; tertiary nerves very slender, wavy between the lateral ones; veins very delicate and close; petiole relatively short, 0.75–1.75 in. long, at first finely papillose and pilose, at length glabrous; stipules deciduous, those surrounding the terminal bud lanceolate, villous; receptacles in leafless panicles produced on the main branches or on the stem, obovoid-globose, sometimes stipitate at the base, about 1 in. in diam., with a conspicuous ostiole, softly tomentose; basal bracts 2, opposite, ovate, subcoriaceous, pubescent outside; ostiole with numerous exserted suberect bracts; outer bracts ovate-triangular, subacute, coriaceous, finely puberulous or glabrescent outside, inner ones spreading horizontally across the ostiole, the innermost longer and descending into the receptacle, glabrous; male flowers sessile near the ostiole; perianth membranous, covering the 1–3 stamens; anther-cells free at the base; female flowers shortly pedicellate; style quite lateral, reddish, with an oblong yellow stigma. (from JSTOR website / Flora Capensis) |
| Link(s) |
African Plant Database
JSTOR Plant Science Kew Herbarium Catalogue BGBM Berlin-Dahlem - Virtual Herbarium Züricher Herbarien Flora of Zimbabwe Fleurs de notre Terre - Galerie Namibie |
| Content last updated: | 15 Jul 2012 |
