This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Cwmhiraeth (talk | contribs) at 10:08, 12 March 2014 (Adding ecology). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 10:08, 12 March 2014 by Cwmhiraeth (talk | contribs) (Adding ecology)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
| Ficus altissima | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Moraceae |
| Tribe: | Ficeae |
| Genus: | Ficus |
| Species: | F. altissima |
| Binomial name | |
| Ficus altissima Blume, 1826 | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Ficus kerkhovenii | |
Ficus altissima is a species of flowering plant, a tree in the genus Ficus, from the family Moraceae originating in southeastern Asia. It is commonly known as the council tree.
Description
Ficus altissima is a large, evergreen forest tree with a buttressed trunk with a spreading crown, growing to 30 m (98 ft). The bark is smooth and grey, with small pale brown pustules. The branches are spreading and the twigs are hairy when young. The leaves are alternate, elliptic to ovate, with entire margins and up to 10 by 4 cm (3.9 by 1.6 in). They have short stalks and sheathing stipules. The flowers are solitary or in pairs and are in the axils of the leaves. They are concealed inside hollow receptacles which grow into orangish-red, many-seeded 2.5 cm (1 in) figs following pollination.
Distribution
Ficus altissima is native to southeastern Asia and many islands in the Pacific. Its range includes the Andaman Islands, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, South China and the Malesia region. It was first described by the Dutch botanist Carl Ludwig Blume in 1826 from Java. It has become naturalized in some of the southern counties of Florida.
Ecology
Ficus altissima is a "strangler fig", often starting life as an epiphyte, frequently on a palm tree, sending down roots to the ground which in time grow stout enough to support the growing tree independently. By this time the host tree has been overwhelmed and killed. It can also grow as a lithophyte in a crevice in a rock or a man made structure. It is sometimes planted as a shade tree but has a wide root system and is unsuitably large for most urban areas.
It is one of many trees that hosts lac insects, scale insects in the superfamily Coccoidea, from which the dye lac is derived.
References
- ^ Wunderlin, R. P.; Hansen, B. F. (2008). "Ficus altissima". Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants. Retrieved 2014-03-12.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Ficus altissima Bl.: Moraceae". BIOTIK. Retrieved 2014-03-12.
- "Ficus altissima". TopTropicals. Retrieved 2014-03-12.
- "Ficus altissima". TopTropicals. Retrieved 2014-03-12.