Ficus lingua Warb. ex De Wild. & T.Durand

Species

Angiosperms > Rosales > Moraceae > Ficus

Characteristics

Tree up to 30 m. tall, hemi-epiphytic or (secondarily) terrestrial.. Leafy twigs 1–4 mm. thick, whitish or brownish puberulous, periderm of older parts peeling off when dry.. Leaves in spirals, tending to distichous; lamina ± coriaceous, oblanceolate to subobovate or narrowly obtriangular, 0.5–5 × 0.3–2(–3) cm., apex obtuse to truncate, emarginate or subacute, base cuneate to obtuse, margin entire; both surfaces glabrous; lateral veins 5–8 pairs; tertiary venation reticulate or tending to parallel the lateral veins; petiole 0.2–0.8 cm. long, 0.5–1 mm. thick; stipules 0.2–0.5 cm. long, puberulous or only ciliolate, caducous, sometimes subpersistent.. Figs in pairs in the leaf-axils or just below the leaves, on peduncles 2–5 mm. long or sometimes subsessile; basal bracts 1–2 mm. long, persistent or caducous.. Receptacle globose or sometimes ellipsoid, ± 5 mm. in diameter when fresh, 3–4 mm. when dry, minutely puberulous, reddish or yellowish at maturity; wall thin, smooth or slightly wrinkled when dry.
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Tree up to 30 m. tall, hemi-epiphytic, secondarily terrestrial. Leafy twigs 1-4 mm thick, whitish puberulous, periderm of older plants flaking off when dry. Leaves spirally arranged, tending to be distichous; lamina oblanceolate to subobovate or narrowly obtriangular, 0.5-5 x 0.3-2(3) cm, subcoriaceous; apex acute to truncate or emarginate; base cuneate to obtuse; margin entire; both surfaces glabrous; lateral veins 5-8 pairs, tertiary venation reticulate or tending to run parallel to the lateral veins; petiole 2-8 mm long, 0.5-1 mm thick; stipules 2-5 mm long, puberulous or ciliolate only, caducous, sometimes subpersistent. Figs in pairs in the leaf axils or just below the leaves, on peduncles 2-5 mm long, sometimes subsessile; basal bracts 1-2 mm long, persistent. Receptacle globose, sometimes ellipsoid, c. 5 mm in diam. when fresh, c. 3-4 mm in diam. when dry, minutely puberulous, reddish or yellowish at maturity; wall of fruiting fig thin, smooth or slightly wrinkled when dry.
Leaves spirally arranged, tending to be distichous; lamina oblanceolate to subobovate or narrowly obtriangular, 0.5–5 x 0.3–2(3) cm., subcoriaceous; apex acute to truncate or emarginate; base cuneate to obtuse; margin entire; both surfaces glabrous; lateral veins 5–8 pairs, tertiary venation reticulate or tending to run parallel to the lateral veins; petiole 2–8 mm. long, 0.5–1 mm. thick; stipules 2–5 mm. long, puberulous or ciliolate only, caducous, sometimes subpersistent.
Receptacle globose, sometimes ellipsoid, c. 5 mm. in diam. when fresh, c. 3–4 mm. in diam. when dry, minutely puberulous, reddish or yellowish at maturity; wall of fruiting fig thin, smooth or slightly wrinkled when dry.
Figs in pairs in the leaf axils or just below the leaves, on peduncles 2–5 mm. long, sometimes subsessile; basal bracts 1–2 mm. long, persistent.
Leafy twigs 1–4 mm. thick, whitish puberulous, periderm of older plants flaking off when dry.
Tree up to 30 m. tall, hemi-epiphytic, secondarily terrestrial.
Life form perennial
Growth form tree
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality monoecy
Pollination entomogamy
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 30.0
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color -
Blooming months -
Fruit color
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

Evergreen humid forest; coastal bushland; coral outcrops; ? Hemi-epiphytic, strangler or secondarily terrestrial; sometimes growing on rocks. At elevations up to 1,200 metres.
Light -
Soil humidity -
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) -

Usage

Uses environmental use material
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by seedlings.
Mode seedlings
Germination duration (days) 15 - 90
Germination temperacture (C°) 21 - 26
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Distribution

Ficus lingua world distribution map, present in South Africa

Conservation status

Ficus lingua threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:853132-1
WFO ID wfo-0000689102
COL ID 6HX3L
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Ficus lingua Ficus buxifolia Ficus micropison

Lower taxons

Ficus lingua subsp. depauperata