Ficus obscura

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Ficus obscura

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Description

Shrub or tree up to 8 m tall, mostly hemi-epiphytic. Branchlets drying (pale) brown. internal hairs absent or sparse and minute. Leaves distichous; stipules semi-amplexicaul, 1-1.5 cm long, brownish appressed-puberulous to strigillose, subpersistent.

Distribution

Asia-Tropical: Borneo present; Jawa (Jawa present); Philippines (Philippines present); Sumatera (Sumatera present), Mindanao present
Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Philippines (Mindanao).

Morphology

3The figs are eaten by Orang Utan. 1Ficus obscura was rather unsatisfactory defined as a species by Corner, as the varieties which were recognized co-occur without showing intermediates. In the present treatment it is segregated into three species: F. grewiifolia, F. obscura, and F. pisifera. They are evidently closely related, but show consistent differences. Ficus grewiifolia is characterized by sparse indumentum on the various parts, the smooth lamina, and the absence of additional waxy glands in the axils of other lateral veins than the basal ones. In the other two species, 1-3 waxy glands in the addition to the one in the axils of one of the basal lateral veins are common and the lamina is ± scabrous, at least above. Ficus obscura is distinct by the relatively large fig receptacles (0.6-1 cm diam. when dry), stipules of 1-1.5 cm long, and conspicuous indumentum on the various parts, in particular on the leafy twigs and the figs. 2Some collections from E Kalimantan (Kessler et al. PK 2343 and Leighton 788) match this species in their vegetative parts, but the figs are distinct as they are small (0.3-0.5 cm diam. when dry) and sparsely hispidulous to subglabrous, resembling those of F. pisifera.

Citation

Corner 1960 – In: Gard. Bull. Singapore 17: 480
Miq. 1851: Pl. Jungh.: 59
Blume 1859 – In: Fl. Ind. Bat.: 302
Corner 1965: – Gard. Bull. Singapore 21: 78
Kochummen 2000 – In: Tree Fl. Sabah & Sarawak: 292
Blume 1867 – In: Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugd.-Bat.: 272, 292
Miq. 1859 – In: Fl. Ind. Bat.: 322
Backer & Bakh.f. 1965 – In: Fl. Java: 27
Merr. 1921: Enum. Born.: 225
Renner 1907 – In: Bot. Jahrb. Syst.: 395