Home | > | List of cultivated families | > | Moraceae | > | Ficus | > | craterostoma |
Synonyms: |
Ficus luteola De Wild. Ficus pilusola De Wild. |
Common names: | Forest fig (English) Forest figtree (English) Musvasvi (Shona) Mutsamvi (Shona) Rare forest fig (English) |
Description: | Small to medium-sized tree, often growing as a lithophyte or strangler. Leaves spirally arranged or distichous, sometimes subopposite, 3−8 × 2−4.5 cm, hairless, dark green above, paler beneath, obtriangular to subobovate, the apex often markedly truncate or even slightly bi-lobed. Midrib not reaching the apex of the lamina. Petiole grooved along the top. Figs initially enveloped by a bud cover up to c. 10 mm. long; mature figs c. 15 mm in diameter, in pairs in leaf axils, sessile, warty with reddish spots. |
Notes: | |
Derivation of specific name: | craterostoma: from cratero-, bowl-shaped and -stoma, opening or mouth (Gr); probably referring to the relatively large aperture or ostiole in the figs. |
Flowering time: | Sep - Dec |
Worldwide distribution: | Sierra Leone to Uganda, Tanzania and South to Angola and South Africa as far as Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. |
Growth form(s): | Tree. |
Insects associated with this species: | Alfonsiella michalaudi (Pollinated by this insect) |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Image last updated: | Saturday 7 April 2007 |
Literature: |
Berg, C.C. (1991). Moraceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(6) Pages 64 - 66. Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (2003). Figs of Southern and South-Central Africa Umdaus Press, South Africa Pages 187 - 191. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 90. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 27. Coates Palgrave, K. (revised and updated by Meg Coates Palgrave) (2002). Trees of Southern Africa 3rd edition. Struik, South Africa Page 141. Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 234. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 63. Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 95. |
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