Ficus benjamina
Content
Description
Tree up to 35 m tall, hemi-epiphytic or (secondarily?) terrestrial.
internal hairs absent.
Leaves spirally arranged to subdistichous;
stipules 0.5-1.5(-2) cm long, glabrous (or minutely white puberulous), drying often pale brown to straw-coloured, sometimes darker brown (to blackish), caducous, often involute when dry.
Ovary partly red to whitish.
Distribution
Arnhem Land present, Asia-Tropical: India present; Thailand (Thailand present), Australasia: Queensland (Queensland present), Myanmar present, S China present, Solomon Islands present
India, Myanmar, Thailand, S China, Indochina to Australia (Arnhem Land and Queensland), Solomon Islands; in Malesia: throughout.
Notes
1The species is rather variable, as in the dimensions of leaves and figs, and the colour of dried stipules, petioles, and fig receptacles, which is mostly pale brown (straw-coloured), but mainly in the eastern part of the species range often darker, sometimes even blackish. The fig receptacle is usually 0.4-1 cm diam. when dry, but it is sometimes up to 1.5 cm diameter. The basal bracts are mostly 0.5-2 mm long and mostly concealed, but sometimes up to 2-3 mm and then not concealed. The ostiolar bracts are not fully imbricate, but in some parts of the species range, as in the Philippines and Celebes, the ostiole is closed. Collection FRI 5837 from Peninsular Malaysia is unusual in the presence of hairs on the basal and outer ostiolar bracts.
2Two species are closely related to F. benjamina and often mixed up with material of this species: F. stricta and F. kurzii. The former is distinct in the larger basal bracts and longer stipules and the latter mainly by the slightly prominent midrib of the lamina above.
Citation
L. 1888 – In: Fl. Brit. India: 508
Miq. 1859 – In: Fl. Ind. Bat.: 349
Koord. & Valeton 1906 – In: Bijdr. Boomsoort. Java: 118
Backer & Bakh.f. 1965 – In: Fl. Java: 24
L. 1836: 17, 18. – In: Rumphia: t. 71
Gagnep. 1928 – In: Fl. Indo-Chine: 766
Engl. 1886 – In: Bot. Jahrb. Syst.: 452
Corner 1940: Wayside Trees: 675: t. 207
Merr. 1923 – In: Enum. Philipp. Flow. Pl.: 59
M.F. Barrett 1951 – In: Am. Midl. Nat.: 125
M.F. Barrett 1951 – In: Am. Midl. Nat.: 118
Rock 1917: Orn. Trees Hawaii: t. 29
L. 1923 – In: Enum. Philipp. Flow. Pl.: 46
Becc. 1902: For. Borneo: 583
King 1887: p. 44. – In: Sp. Ficus: t. 52B
L. 2000 – In: Tree Fl. Sabah & Sarawak: 262
Kunth 1847 – In: Ann. Sci. Nat. Bot.: 251
Kurz 1877 – In: Forest Fl. Burma: 445
Ridl. 1924 – In: Fl. Malay Penins.: 336
Diels 1935 – In: Bot. Jahrb. Syst.: 184
Merr. 1906 – In: Philipp. J. Sci.: 46
Náves & Fern.-Vill. 1880: Nov. App.: 200
Corner 1965: – Gard. Bull. Singapore 21: 21
Corner 1965: – Gard. Bull. Singapore 21: 21
Sata 1944 – In: Contr. Hort. Inst. Taihoku Imp. Univ.: 196
Merr. 1950 – In: J. Arnold Arbor. 31: 276
L. 1977: p. 139. – In: Rev. Handbook Fl. Ceyl.: t. 15
Lam. 1788 – In: Encycl.: 493
Miq. 1867: – Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugd.-Bat. 3: 288
Merr. 1912: Fl. Manila: 46
Sata 1944 – In: Contr. Hort. Inst. Taihoku Imp. Univ.: 197
Náves & Fern.-Vill. 1880: Nov. App.: 199
Kurz 1877 – In: Forest Fl. Burma: 446
Willd. 1806 – In: Sp. Pl.: 1145
Miq. 1861: Fl. Ind. Bat.: 439
King 1887: p. 43. – In: Sp. Ficus: t. 52
L. 1885: Phan. Cuming.: 145
Worth. 1959: Ceylon Trees: f. 403
Burkill 1935: Dict. Econ. Prod. Malay Penins.: 1004
Miq. 1886: Rev. Pl. Vasc. Filip.: 251
S. Vidal 1885: Phan. Cuming.: 146
Miq. 1861: Fl. Ind. Bat.: 439
Blume 1825: Bijdr.: 456
Sata 1944 – In: Contr. Hort. Inst. Taihoku Imp. Univ.: 21
K. Schum. & Lauterb. 1900: Fl. Schutzgeb. Südsee: 272
Corner 1965: – Gard. Bull. Singapore 21: 21
K. Heyne 1927: Nutt. Pl. Ned.-Indië: 568
Miq. 1867: – Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugd.-Bat. 3: 267, 288
Griff. 1854 – In: Notul. Pl. Asiat.: 394
Kochummen 1978 – In: Tree Fl. Malaya: 141
Summerh. 1929 – In: J. Arnold Arbor. 10: 146
Watt 1890 – In: Dict. Econ. Prod. India: 346
Griff. 1854 – In: Ic. Pl. Asiat.: t. 554-II.
Benth. 1873 – In: Fl. Austral.: 167
Merr. 1921: Enum. Born.: 221
Elmer 1914 – In: Leafl. Philipp. Bot.: 2409
Miq. 1851: Pl. Jungh.: 50
Miq. 1859 – In: Fl. Ind. Bat.: 346
Elmer 1907 – In: Leafl. Philipp. Bot.: 48
Elmer 1911 – In: Leafl. Philipp. Bot.: 1245
S. Vidal 1883: Sin. Atl: 39: t. 87B
Koord. 1916 – In: Atlas Baumart. Java: t. 735
Dalzell & A. Gibson 1861: Bombay Fl.: 242
F.M. Bailey 1900: p. 349. – In: Queensl. Agr. J.: t. 45, var. lehuntei F.M. Bailey (pro fol., cf. note)
Merr. 1923 – In: Enum. Philipp. Flow. Pl.: 69
Renner 1907 – In: Bot. Jahrb. Syst.: 381
Miq. 1859 – In: Fl. Ind. Bat.: 346
L. 1886: Rev. Pl. Vasc. Filip.: 251
F.B. Forbes & Hemsl. 1899 – In: J. Linn. Soc. Bot.: 457
Sata 1944 – In: Contr. Hort. Inst. Taihoku Imp. Univ.: 195
Elmer 1937 – In: Leafl. Philipp. Bot.: 3456