Ficus benghalensis L., Moraceae

Click on an image for links to BIGGER PICTURES

Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Threat only at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Low risk (based on second screen), score: 3 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

English: banyan, banyan fig, East Indian figtree, Indian banyan, vada tree

French: figuier des pagodes

Samoan: pulu

Habit:  tree

Description:  "Wide-spreading banyan with copious aerial roots.  Leaves broadly ovate, obtuse, the base cordate; lamina 10-30 cm long, 7-20 cm wide, very coriaceous, puberulous beneath; lateral veins 5-7 pairs, the basal pair prominent, reaching 1/3 of lamina length; petiole 1.5-7 cm long, 5 mm wide, puberulous; stipules thick, 1-1.5 cm long and wide, puberulous.  Figs paired, sessile, puberulous, depressed-globular, 1.5-2 cm diam., maturing orange to red; ostiole broadly unbonate, enclosed by 3 flat apical bracts; basal bracts 3, foliaceous, obtuse, 3-7 mm long, 10-15 mm wide, puberulous.  Male flowers pedicellate; tepals 2 or 3.  Female flowers sessile; tepals 3 or 4.  Gall flowers pedicellate; tepals 3 or 4"  (Chew, 1989; p. 36).

Habitat/ecology:  In Australia, reported to be naturalized in northeastern and central Queensland in mixed eucalypt woodland with monsoon scrub species (Chew, 1989; p. 36). In addition to competing with natural vegetation, the roots can cause damage to structures and roadways.

Propagation:  Seed distributed by birds. Trees begin as epiphytes on host trees. Requires a species-specific wasp for pollination.

Native range:  India, now widely cultivated.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
American Samoa Tutuila Islands	Tutuila Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2000) (p. 35)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Pagan Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 53)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Pagan Island	introduced cultivated	Fosberg, F. R./Falanruw, M. V. C./Sachet, M.-H. (1975) (p. 21) Doubless planted. Voucher cited: Moore 347 (US)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Rotuma Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1991) (voucher ID: BISH 638062) Taxon name on voucher: Ficus benghalensis L.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1981) (p. 175) Vouchers cited: DA 6068, DA 13269 (L.9545)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1962) (voucher ID: BISH 32932) Taxon name on voucher: Ficus benghalensis L.
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced cultivated	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 186) Voucher cited: Florence 2619
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced cultivated	Florence, J. (1997) (pp. 155-156)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1982) (voucher ID: BISH 493283) Taxon name on voucher: Ficus benghalensis L.
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 53)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced cultivated	Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2005) (p. 408)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced cultivated	Imada, Clyde T./Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2006) (p. Voucher specimens) Vouchers cited: Flynn 5690 (BISH 641459), Lorence 8004 (BISH 653772)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced cultivated	Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2005) (p. 408)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced cultivated	Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2005) (p. 408)
Japan (offshore islands) Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	introduced	Kato, Hidetoshi (2007)
Kiribati Tungaru (Gilbert) Islands	Tarawa Atoll	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 53)
Nauru Nauru Island	Nauru Island	introduced cultivated	Thaman, R. R./Fosberg, F. R./Manner, H. I./Hassall, D. C. (1994) (pp. 171-172) Vouchers cited: Fosberg 58749 (US), Thaman & Manner 53 (SUVA)
Nauru Nauru Island	Nauru Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1978) (voucher ID: BISH 660710) Taxon name on voucher: Ficus benghalensis L.
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)		Waterhouse, Barbara (year unknown)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2002) (p. 66)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1973) (voucher ID: BISH 417714) Taxon name on voucher: Ficus benghalensis L.

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive	Australian Biological Resources Study (2007) "Found in mixed eucalypt woodland with monsoon scrub species".

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
British Indian Ocean Territory Chagos Archipelago	Diego Garcia Island		Stoddart, D. R./Taylor, J. D., eds. (1971) (p. 148) Vouchers cited: Willis & Gardiner s.n. (K), Rhyne 654 (US), Stoddart 807 (K, US)

Comments:  A potentially noxious species.

Control: 

Chemical:  "Fig trees are particularly sensitive to triclopyr herbicides as a basal or cut-stump treatment.  Trees found growing on concrete or rock structures should be treated with herbicide while young to avoid costly structural damage.  Use extreme caution when applying herbicide to figs growing as epiphytes to ensure that the poison does not contact the host tree.  When exotic figs germinate high in the branches of large trees in natural forest communities, it may be extraordinarily difficult to get close enough to the fig to treat it"  (Randall & Marinelli, 1996; pp. 33-34).

Additional information:  Report (PDF format) from US Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, Haleakala Field Station, Hawaii "Plants of Hawaii".
Information on this prohibited species from the Miami-Dade County [Florida] web site.

Additional online information about Ficus benghalensis is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Taxonomic information about Ficus benghalensis may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Australian Biological Resources Study. 2007. Flora of Australia Online. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra.

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1962. Voucher specimen #BISH 32932 (Cottle, G.W. 13269).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1973. Voucher specimen #BISH 417714 (Whistler, W.A. W 693).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1978. Voucher specimen #BISH 660710 (Fosberg, F.R. 58749).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1982. Voucher specimen #BISH 493283 (Florence, J. 2619).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1991. Voucher specimen #BISH 638062 (McClatchey, W.C. 281).

Chew, W.-L. 1989. Flora of Australia. Vol. 3, Moraceae. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.

Florence, J. 1997. Flore de la Polynésie française, Vol. 1. Paris. Editions de l'Orstom, Institut Français de Recherche Scientifique pour le Développement en Coopération, Collection Faune et Flore Tropicales 34. 393 pp.

Fosberg, F. R./Falanruw, M. V. C./Sachet, M.-H. 1975. Vascular flora of the northern Marianas Islands. Smithsonian Contrib. Bot. 22:1-45.

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce. 1979. A geographical checklist of the Micronesian dicotyledonae. Micronesica 15:1-295.

Imada, Clyde T./Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. 2006. Annotated checklist of cultivated plants of Hawai‘i (online searchable database).

Kato, Hidetoshi. 2007. Herbarium records of Makino Herbarium, Tokyo Metropolitan University. Personal communication.

Randall, J. M./Marinelli, J. (eds.). 1996. Invasive plants: weeds of the global garden. Brooklyn Botanic Garden Handbook 149. 111 pp.

Smith, Albert C. 1981. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. Volume 2. 810 pp.

Space, James C./Flynn, Tim. 2000. Observations on invasive plant species in American Samoa.  USDA Forest Service, Honolulu. 51 pp.

Space, James C./Flynn, Tim. 2002. Report to the Government of Samoa on invasive plant species of environmental concern. USDA Forest Service, Honolulu. 83 pp.

Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. 2005. A tropical garden flora: plants cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and other tropical places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 908 pp.

Stoddart, D. R./Taylor, J. D., eds. 1971. Geography and ecology of Diego Garcia Atoll, Chagos Archipelago. Atoll Research Bulletin No. 149. Smithsonian Institution, Washington. 237 pp.

Thaman, R. R./Fosberg, F. R./Manner, H. I./Hassall, D. C. 1994. The flora of Nauru. Smithsonian Institution, Washington. Atoll Research Bulletin 392:1-223.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2007. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Waterhouse, Barbara. 0. Barbara Waterhouse, pers. com.

Welsh, S. L. 1998. Flora Societensis: A summary revision of the flowering plants of the Society Islands. E.P.S. Inc., Orem, Utah. 420 pp.