Ficus henneana

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Deciduous fig
Deciduous Fig by Pacific Highway & Manning River.jpg
Deciduous fig by the Pacific Highway, near the Manning River, Australia
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Moraceae
Genus: Ficus
Species:
F. henneana
Binomial name
Ficus henneana
Synonyms

Ficus henneana is a strangler fig only occurring in Australia. Previously considered a variety of Ficus superba which occurs in China, Japan and parts of South East Asia. The cedar fig or deciduous fig grows in Australia from Milton, New South Wales to northern Queensland and the Northern Territory. The habitat is riverine, littoral or the drier forms of rainforest. The fruit is considered edible for humans, but it is not particularly palatable.

Contents

Collection and naming

This Australian variety was named after Diedrich Henne, who collected this plant at Booby Island in the Torres Strait in 1861. In 1868 it was named Ficus henneana. Joseph Banks also collected this plant from the Booby Island on August 23, 1770. That specimen may have been from the same tree as Henne's specimen, (as the island is so small). Banks' plant was named in 1901 after the Endeavor's artist Sydney Parkinson, (Ficus parkinsonii). However, this name fell out of favour as Ficus henneana was already named in 1868. The specific epithet superba is from Latin referring to "outstanding" or "superb". The plant has had other scientific names, such as Ficus gracilipes, Ficus pritzelii and Urostigma superbum. The tree is semi deciduous, seldom losing all leaves. It may be seen almost bare of leaves in the month of October. In 2013, the species was reassigned to the original name of Ficus henneana, as described by Friedrich Miquel. [2] [3]

Booby Island, where Joseph Banks and Diedrich Henne collected samples of the deciduous fig Booby Island aerial.jpg
Booby Island, where Joseph Banks and Diedrich Henne collected samples of the deciduous fig

Description

Ficus henneana can grow to 35 metres (115 ft) in height in the best sites, or a smaller spreading tree on exposed rocky slopes. Like other strangler figs it is a hemi-epiphyte.

The bark is grey or reddish brown. Rough with scales, cracks and vertical bumps. The base of the tree is buttressed, but not as prominently as in the Moreton Bay fig. White sap appears when a branch is cut.

Leaves are alternate, simple and entire, 8 to 12 centimetres (3.1 to 4.7 in) long and 2 to 5 centimetres (0.79 to 1.97 in) wide. Oval or elliptical in shape. Mostly with a short blunt tip. Rounded at the base or heart shaped. This tree can be identified in New South Wales by the long leaf stem 2 to 5 cm (0.79 to 1.97 in) long. The leaf midrib is sunken on the upper surface and raised below.

Reproduction

Flowers form within a translucent receptacle, a syconium. Flowers pollinated by fig wasps within the fig. The mature fig changes to a purplish colour with pink dots, globular in shape, 25 millimetres (0.98 in) in diameter. Figs ripe from January to July, but sometimes appearing mature in different times of the year.

The figs are eaten by a large variety of birds including the Australasian figbird, Coxen's fig parrot, green catbird, Lewin's honeyeater, regent bowerbird, rose crowned fruit dove, topknot pigeon, wompoo fruit dove and yellow-eyed cuckoo-shrike. Regeneration is easy from fresh seed and cuttings. The marcotting technique of propagation is suited to Ficus henneana. [4]

Uses

Suited to parks and large gardens as an ornamental tree

Related Research Articles

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<i>Ficus macrophylla</i> Species of banyan tree

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<i>Ficus rubiginosa</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Moraceaea native to eastern Australia

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<i>Ficus coronata</i> Species of fig

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<i>Ficus obliqua</i> A tree, the small-leaved fig

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<i>Ficus fraseri</i> Species of fig

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<i>Syzygium moorei</i> Species of tree

Syzygium moorei is a rare sub tropical rainforest tree, growing on volcanic soils in the Mount Warning area of north east New South Wales and south east Queensland, Australia. Common names include coolamon, watermelon tree, durobby and robby; it is also called "rose apple" but this can refer to many species of Syzygium.

<i>Ehretia acuminata</i> Species of tree

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<i>Ficus virens <span style="font-style:normal;">var.</span> sublanceolata</i> Species of fig

Ficus virens var. sublanceolata is a banyan or strangler fig. It grows alongside the related white fig in the northern part of its range. They differ with narrower leaves, almost lanceolate in shape. Common names in Australia include white fig, sour fig, deciduous fig and banyan. A large example can be seen north of Murwillumbah beside the old Pacific Highway, not far from the state border with Queensland.

<i>Ficus superba</i> Species of epiphyte

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diedrich Henne</span>

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Site of <i>Ficus superba var. henneana</i> tree Historic site in New South Wales, Australia

Site of Ficus superba var. henneana tree is a heritage-listed individual tree at 3-4 Fernleigh Gardens, Rose Bay in the Municipality of Woollahra local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was planted during 1827. It is also known as Cedar fig, superb fig and Port Hacking fig; formerly part of Fernleigh Castle; The Ferns grounds. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. The identification of the tree is confirmed as the White Fig, not indigenous to Sydney.

References

  1. "Ficus superba var. henneana". Flora of Australia Online. Australian Biological Resources Study.
  2. "Ficus henneana". PlantNET - NSW Flora Online. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  3. "Ficus henneana". Biodiversity.org.au. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  4. Floyd, A. G. (2008). Rainforest Trees of Mainland South-eastern Australia (2nd, Revised ed.). Lismore, New South Wales: Terania Rainforest Publishing. p. 233. ISBN   978-0-958943-67-3 . Retrieved 2010-07-20.