Ficus guianensis

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Ficus guianensis

Description

Tree up to 35 m tall. Branchlets 2.5-7 mm thick, minutely puberulous or glabrous (or densely, brown short-pubescent). Stipules 0.3-1 cm long, puberulous glabrous, caducous; petiole 0.5-3 cm long, minutely puberulous or glabrous (or brown short-pubescent); blade coriaceous, obovate to narrowly obovate or elliptic to narrowly elliptic, 3-16(-22) x 2-6(-11.5) cm, apex acute, acuminate or rounded, base acute to subobtuse or rounded, truncate or subcordate, glabrous above, glabrous or sometimes minutely puberulous with appressed brown hairs beneath; secondary veins (8-)10-16 pairs. Figs usually several together on spurs, also below the leaves, subglobose, 0.3-1(-1.2) cm in diam., minutely puberulous with appressed brown hairs, at maturity red, often with darker spots, up to 0.8 cm long pedunculate or subsessile; basal bracts 2(-3), ca. 1.5 mm long; ostiole 1.5-3 mm in diam., plane to slightly prominent.

Distribution

Amazon Basin present, Grenada present, Guianas present, Southern America: Venezuela (Venezuela present), Tobago present, Trinidad present
Amazon Basin, Venezuela, Trinidad, Tobago, Grenada, and the Guianas.

Common Name

English: muhu, muhukamwi

Figures

Figs usually several together on spurs, also below the leaves, , , , pedunculate or subsessile;1
1. 004

Notes

In the present concept "F. guianensis" is very variable. The majority of the specimens have medium-sized (up to 15 cm long) to small (up to 10 cm long), elliptic to oblong leaves with a rounded to shortly and bluntly acuminate apex, and with medium-sized figs (0.4-0.8 cm in diam.). Extremes in the variation are:
  • a form with large (up to 20 cm long) leaves and small figs (3-4 mm in diam.); occurring in French Guiana and Brazil (Amapa and Para).
  • a form with large (up to 20 cm long) leaves and large figs (0.8-1.2 cm in diam.); occurring in French Guiana and the northern Amazon Basin. The name F. clusiifolia Schott, which has been used for this taxon, belongs to an East-Brazilian entity of the F. americana complex.