Ficus Hispida
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''Ficus hispida'' also known as the opposite leaf Fig is a small but well distributed species of tropical
fig tree ''Ficus'' ( or ) is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes and hemiepiphytes in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending int ...
. It is
dioecious Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproductio ...
, with male and female flowers on separate individuals. It occurs in many parts of Asia and as far south east as
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. There is a large variety of local common names. Like a number of ficus, the leaves are sandpapery to touch. An unusual feature is the figs which hang on long stems.


Species associated with ''Ficus hispida''

In Australia the fruit are eaten by
cassowaries Cassowaries ( tpi, muruk, id, kasuari) are flightless birds of the genus ''Casuarius'' in the order Casuariiformes. They are classified as ratites (flightless birds without a keel (bird anatomy), keel on their sternum bones) and are native t ...
and double-eyed fig parrots.
Phayre's leaf monkey Phayre's leaf monkey (''Trachypithecus phayrei''), also known as Phayre's langur, is a species of lutung native to South and Southeast Asia, namely India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. Populations from further east are now thought to belong to other s ...
feeds on the leaves as do the larvae of the moth '' Melanocercops ficuvorella''. The fig wasp ''
Apocrypta bakeri ''Apocrypta bakeri'' is a species of fig wasps in the family Pteromalidae. It has ''Ficus hispida'' as its host, where it parasitizes the other fig wasp ''Ceratosolen solmsi ''Ceratosolen solmsi'' is a species of fig wasps in the family Agaoni ...
'' has ''F. hispida'' as its host, where it parasitizes the other fig wasp ''
Ceratosolen solmsi ''Ceratosolen solmsi'' is a species of fig wasps in the family Agaonidae. It has ''Ficus hispida ''Ficus hispida'' also known as the opposite leaf Fig is a small but well distributed species of tropical Ficus, fig tree. It is dioecious, with ...
''. The yet unnamed nematode species '' Caenorhabditis sp. 35'' has been found in Aceh, Indonesia, associated with the tree. Caterpillars of the moth species ''
Asota caricae ''Asota caricae'', the tropical tiger moth, is a species of noctuoid moth in the family Erebidae. It is found from the Indo-Australian tropics of India and Sri Lanka to Queensland and Vanuatu. Description The wingspan is 51–58 mm. Palpi w ...
'' have been recorded eating ''F. hispida'', the caterpillars skeletonise the leaves.


References

hispida Trees of China Flora of tropical Asia Flora of Western Australia Flora of the Northern Territory Flora of Queensland Trees of Australia Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Dioecious plants {{Moraceae-stub