Ficus ilicina
| Laurel fig | |
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| In the Naukluft, Namibia | |
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| Species: | F. ilicina
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| Binomial name | |
| Ficus ilicina | |
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The Laurel fig (Ficus ilicina) is a species of rock-splitting[2] fig that is native to the semi-desert regions of southwestern Africa. It is only found on rocks,[3] up to an altitude of 1,300 m (4,300 ft).[4]
Description
It is generally a scrambler on rocks, but also a medium-sized shrub, or rarely a large tree of 5 m (16 ft) tall or more.[3] It is mostly evergreen, though a few are bare in spring, just before new foliage emerges. The elliptic leaves are more than twice as long as they are wide, shiny above and matte below.[3] The sessile or stalked figs are produced in the summer months. They are about 1 cm (0.39 in) in diameter and appear in the leaf axils near the branch tips.[3]
Range
It occurs in southwestern Angola, the Namibian escarpment and Khomas hochland, and in the Northern Cape, South Africa.
Species associations
The pollinating wasp is Elisabethiella enriquesi (Grandi).[4] The figs are eaten by birds and people.[3]
References
- ^ "Ficus ilicina (Sond.) Miq., Synonyms". The Plant List. 2013. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
- ^ Burring, Jan. "Ficus abutilifolia (Miq.) Miq". plantzafrica.com. SANBI. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
- ^ a b c d e Curtis, B., Mannheimer, C. (2005). "Ficus ilicina, Rock-splitting Fig". Tree Atlas of Namibia. National Botanical Research Institute, Windhoek. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)[permanent dead link] - ^ a b Van Noort, S., Rasplus, J. "Ficus ilicina (Sonder) Miquel 1867". Figweb. Iziko Museums. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
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External links
- Dressler, S.; Schmidt, M. & Zizka, G. (2014). "Ficus ilicina". African plants – a Photo Guide. Frankfurt/Main: Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg.