Ficus bussei Mildbr. & Burret

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Long Pool Viewing Point, Mana Pools

Photo: Bart Wursten
Mana Pools

Photo: Bart Wursten
Mana Pools, by main road to camp

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Synonyms:	Ficus changuensis Mildbr. & Burret Ficus fasciculata Warb. Ficus zambesiaca Hutch.
Common names:	Busse's fig (English) N'thowe (Shona) Zambezi fig (English)
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Medium to large evergreen or briefly deciduous tree, often starting epiphytically as a strangler. Bark smoothish, grey-brown, finely fissured and flaking on the lower stem of old trees; latex present. Leaves clustered near the ends of branches, oblong-lanceolate, elliptic to somewhat obovate or ovate, 10-30 cm, dark olive green above, paler below, usually hairless or finely hairy on the veins; base cordate with the lobes sometimes overlapping the petiole; veins yellowish, prominently raised below; margin entire, slightly rolled under. Figs in pairs in the leaf axils, pedunculate, rarely or on bare twigs, subspherical, c. 30 mm in diameter, green and warty, yellowish when ripe.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	bussei: named after W. Busse, German agricultural officer and collector in Tanganyika (now Tanzania).
Habitat:	On sandy and alluvial soils along the major river valleys and in coastal areas.
Altitude range: (metres)	Up to 600 m
Flowering time:	Sep - Feb
Worldwide distribution:	Along the East African coast from Somalia to Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Zimbabwe distribution:	N,E
Growth form(s):	Tree.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Images last updated:	Saturday 3 December 2011
Literature:	Berg, C.C. (1991). Moraceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(6) Page 58. Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (2003). Figs of Southern and South-Central Africa Umdaus Press, South Africa Pages 104 - 108. (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 84. (Includes a picture). Coates Palgrave, K. (revised and updated by Meg Coates Palgrave) (2002). Trees of Southern Africa 3rd edition. Struik, South Africa Page 139. Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 89. Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 234. As Ficus zambesiaca 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. Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 80. White, F. (1962). Forest Flora of Northern Rhodesia Oxford Univ. Press. Page 33. as Ficus zambesiaca

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Flora of Malawi: Ficus bussei
Flora of Mozambique: Ficus bussei
Flora of Zambia: Ficus bussei

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Ficus bussei
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Ficus bussei
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Ficus bussei
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Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Ficus bussei
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Ficus bussei
JSTOR Plant Science: Ficus bussei
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Ficus bussei
Plants of the World Online: Ficus bussei
Tropicos: Ficus bussei
Wikipedia: Ficus bussei