The Laurel fig (''Ficus ilicina'') is a species of rock-splitting
fig
The fig is the edible fruit of ''Ficus carica'', a species of small tree in the flowering plant family Moraceae. Native to the Mediterranean and western Asia, it has been cultivated since ancient times and is now widely grown throughout the world ...
that is native to the semi-desert regions of southwestern Africa. It is only found on rocks,
up to an altitude of .
Description
It is generally a scrambler on rocks, but also a medium-sized shrub, or rarely a large tree of tall or more.
[ 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.][ The sessile or stalked figs are produced in the summer months. They are about in diameter and appear in the leaf axils near the branch tips.][
]
Range
It occurs in southwestern Angola
, national_anthem = " Angola Avante"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capital = Luanda
, religion =
, religion_year = 2020
, religion_ref =
, coordina ...
, the Namibia
Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...
n escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that forms as a result of faulting or erosion and separates two relatively level areas having different elevations.
The terms ''scarp'' and ''scarp face'' are often used interchangeably with ''escar ...
and Khomas hochland, and in the Northern Cape
The Northern Cape is the largest and most sparsely populated province of South Africa. It was created in 1994 when the Cape Province was split up. Its capital is Kimberley. It includes the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, part of the Kgalagadi T ...
, South Africa.
Species associations
The pollinating wasp is '' Elisabethiella enriquesi'' (Grandi).[ The figs are eaten by birds and people.][
]
References
External links
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15475372
Trees of Africa
Flora of Southern Africa
ilicina
Taxa named by Friedrich Anton Wilhelm Miquel