Ficus virgata

Content

Description

Tree up to 30 m tall, terrestrial or (hemi-)epiphytic. Branchlets drying brown to yellowish. internal hairs mostly minute, abundant to sparse. Leaves distichous; stipules amplexicaul, (0.5-)1-2.7 cm long, glabrous or sparsely puberulous or only ciliolate, caducous;

Distribution

Alor present, Ambon present, Asia-Tropical: Borneo present; Lesser Sunda Is. present; Maluku (Maluku present); New Guinea present; Philippines (Philippines present); Sulawesi (Sulawesi present), Australasia: Queensland (Queensland present), Banda present, Ceram present, Flores present, From Malesia extending to Solomon Islands present, New Britain present, New Caledonia present, New Hebrides present, Palawan present, Sangi Islands present, Sula Islands present, Talaud Islands present, Tanna present, Timor present, Wetar present

From Malesia extending to Solomon Islands, New Hebrides (Tanna), New Caledonia, Australia (Queensland); in Malesia: Borneo, Philippines (excl. Palawan), Celebes (incl. Sangi Islands), Lesser Sunda Islands (Flores, Alor, Wetar, Timor), Moluccas (Talaud Islands, Sula Islands, Ceram, Ambon, Banda Besar), New Guinea (incl. New Britain).

Morphology

4The ﬁgs are often subsessile or shortly pedunculate. In some of the collections from the Philippines the peduncles can be up to 0.6 cm long. 6Due to the relatively long stipules and the ± divaricate terminal buds this species can be confused with F. subulata subsp. subulata. However, the stipules of the latter are usually dark brown to blackish when dry, whereas those of F. virgata are mostly greenish to pale brown when dry, Moreover, the tertiary venation is usually distinctly scalariform in F. subulata subsp. subulata, but (sub)reticulate in F. virgata. 3The tepals are mostly whitish, but in many collections from the Philippines they are reddish. 5The identity of the material from the Caroline Islands referred to F. virgata by Corner (1965) could not be veriﬁed. 1It is peculiar that F. virgata is found almost throughout the range of distribution of F. tinctoria subsp. tinctoria. Although it is likely that these two taxa are distinct at the species level, ﬁeld studies appear to be necessary to establish the relationships between them. Characters used in the present treatment to separate the two species are: the length of the stipules, the base of the lamina, and the presence of indumentum on the leafy twigs, petioles, and/or the stipules. In F. virgata, the stipules are on most leafy twigs at least 1 cm long (but often shorter on thin twigs) and in F. tinctoria at most 1 cm long, rarely up to 1.2 cm in the Malesian region. But outside this region (as in Fiji and the Samoa Islands) the stipules may be up to 2 cm long. The identity of collections from Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands that have been referred to F. virgata is somewhat doubtful, as the stipules tend to be long, the base of the lamina is often subattenuate, and the epidermis of the petioles of the youngest leaves is often not yet flaking off. However, the indumentum on the leafy twigs and the common presence of waxy glands in the axils of both basal lateral veins, as well as the relatively long ﬁg peduncles (usually 0.5-1 cm long) suggest that they belong to F. tinctoria (subsp. tinctoria) rather than to F. virgata. In F. virgata, the base of the lamina is more or less distinctly attenuate, but mostly not so in F. tinctoria subsp. tinctoria. The leafy twigs, petioles, laminas, and stipules of F. virgata are entirely glabrous (at least in the Malesian region), but in F. tinctoria subsp. tinctoria at least the leafy twigs are hispidulous or sometimes puberulous, the hispidulous surfaces are often scabridulous, and the stipules are often ciliolate. Moreover, in F. virgata the epidermis is usually not yet flaking off from the petioles of the youngest leaves, but in F. tinctoria the epidermis is usually flaking off also from petioles of the youngest leaves. The tepals of the pistillate flowers are mostly sparsely appressed-puberulous outside, whereas (mostly) minutely ciliolate in F. tinctoria. 2In the eastern part of the range of distribution the number of peduncular bracts (at the base of the peduncle, if present) can be up to 6. Moreover, these bracts are often relatively large, 1.5-2.5 cm long.

Citation

Sata 1944 – In: Contr. Hort. Inst. Taihoku Imp. Univ.: 228, 290

Benth. 1873 – In: Fl. Austral.: 173

Corner 1960 – In: Gard. Bull. Singapore 17: 477

Elmer 1907 – In: Leafl. Philipp. Bot.: 250

Sata 1944 – In: Contr. Hort. Inst. Taihoku Imp. Univ.: 228

Miq. 1913: Compr. Cat. Qld. Pl.: 487

F.M. Bailey 1902 – In: Queensl. Fl.: 1477

Blume 1967: p. 112. – In: Philos. Trans.: t. 36

Summerh. 1941 – In: J. Arnold Arbor. 22: 89

Merr. 1923 – In: Enum. Philipp. Flow. Pl.: 61

Miq. 1886: Rev. Pl. Vasc. Filip.: 252

Miq. 1867: – Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugd.-Bat. 3: 293

Boerl. 1900 – In: Handl.: 369

Merr. 1923 – In: Enum. Philipp. Flow. Pl.: 66

F. Muell. 1913: Compr. Cat. Qld. Pl: 487: f. 489

F.M. Bailey 1902 – In: Queensl. Fl.: 1475

Sata 1944 – In: Contr. Hort. Inst. Taihoku Imp. Univ.: 227, 292

Náves & Fern.-Vill. 1880: Nov. App.: 201

King 1887: p. 6. – In: Sp. Ficus: t. 3

Summerh. 1941 – In: J. Arnold Arbor. 22: 89

Renner 1907 – In: Bot. Jahrb. Syst.: 393

S. Vidal 1885: Phan. Cuming.: 145

Merr. 1923 – In: Enum. Philipp. Flow. Pl.: 61

Miq. 1867: – Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugd.-Bat. 3: 293

Miq. 1867: – Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugd.-Bat. 3: 286

Summerh. 1932 – In: J. Arnold Arbor. 13: 96

Kaneh. 1917: Formos. Trees: 519

Miq. 1867: – Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugd.-Bat. 3: 292

Guillaumin 1948: Fl. Anal. & Synopt. Nouv. Caléd.: 97

Corner 1965: – Gard. Bull. Singapore 21: 75

Summerh. 1933 – In: J. Arnold Arbor. 14: 62

Merr. 1917: Int. Rumph.: 196

Miq. 1859 – In: Fl. Ind. Bat.: 311