''Ficus tinctoria'', also known as dye fig, or humped fig is a hemiepiphytic tree of genus ''

Ficus ''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 extendi ...

''. It is also one of the species known as '' strangler fig''. It is found in

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

Malesia Malesia is a biogeographical region straddling the Equator and the boundaries of the Indomalayan and Australasian realms, and also a phytogeographical floristic region in the Paleotropical Kingdom. It has been given different definitions. Th ...

, northern Australia, and the South Pacific islands. It grows in moist valleys. Palms are favorable host species. Root systems of dye fig can come together to be self sustaining but the epiphyte usually falls if the host tree dies or rots away. In Australia it is recorded as a medium-sized tree with smooth, oval green leaves. It is found often growing in rocky areas or over boulders. The leaves are asymmetrical. The small rust brown fruit of the dye fig are the source of a red dye used in traditional fabric making in parts of

Oceania Oceania (, , ) is a geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern and Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of and a population of around 44.5 million ...

and

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

. The fruit is also edible and constitute as a major food source in the low-lying

atoll An atoll () is a ring-shaped island, including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon partially or completely. There may be coral islands or cays on the rim. Atolls are located in warm tropical or subtropical oceans and seas where corals can gr ...

s of

Micronesia Micronesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, consisting of about 2,000 small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It has a close shared cultural history with three other island regions: the Philippines to the west, Polynesia to the east, and ...

and

Polynesia Polynesia () "many" and νῆσος () "island"), to, Polinisia; mi, Porinihia; haw, Polenekia; fj, Polinisia; sm, Polenisia; rar, Porinetia; ty, Pōrīnetia; tvl, Polenisia; tkl, Polenihia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of ...

Subspecies

''Ficus tinctoria'' subsp. ''gibbosa'' is an accepted subspecies.

References

External links

Cook Islands Biodiversity : Ficus tinctoria - Dye Fig
tinctoria

Ficus tinctoria ''Ficus tinctoria'', also known as dye fig, or humped fig is a hemiepiphytic tree of genus ''Ficus''. It is also one of the species known as '' strangler fig''. It is found in Asia, Malesia, northern Australia, and the South Pacific islands. ...

Micronesian cuisine Polynesian cuisine Flora of the Pacific Flora of Malesia Flora of Japan Flora of China Flora of Taiwan Flora of Australia {{Moraceae-stub