Ficus natalensis Hochst., Moraceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Evaluate, score: 1 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Ficus durbanii Warb.; Urostigma natalense (Hochst.) Miq.

Habit:  tree

Description:  "Tree up to 30 m. tall, or a shrub, hemi-epiphytic or secondarily terrestrial, sometimes semi-scandent. Leafy twigs 2-5 mm. thick, glabrous or sparsely minutely puberulous, periderm not flaking off. Leaves spirally arranged, or ± distichous, often subopposite; lamina oblong to elliptic or obovate to broadly obtriangular, occasionally lanceolate, 2.5-10 x 1-4.5 cm., subcoriaceous; apex shortly acuminate to obtuse or subacute to rounded or emarginate; base acute to obtuse; margin entire; both surfaces glabrous; lateral veins 6-13 pairs, midrib usually not reaching the apex of the lamina, tertiary venation reticulate or ± parallel to the lateral veins; petiole 5-20 (30) mm. long, 1-2 (2.5) mm. thick, glabrous; stipules 2-10 mm. long, glabrous or puberulous, caducous. Figs in pairs in the leaf axils or sometimes also just below the leaves, initially enclosed by a calyptrate bud cover, up to 1.5 cm. long, subovoid and ± glabrous; peduncle 2-10 mm. long; basal bracts 1.5-2.5 mm. long, caducous sometimes subpersistent. Receptacle often shortly stipitate, at least when dry, globose to ellipsoid or obovoid, c. 1.5-2 cm. in diameter when fresh, 0.8-1.5 cm. in diameter when dry, glabrous, reddish-orange or yellowish (to brown) at maturity; wall (rather thin) usually wrinkled when dry, apex plane or slightly protruding" (Flora Zambesiaca on-line).

Habitat/ecology:  In its native habitat, "Evergreen, riverine and coastal forest, Brachystegia/Uapaca and miombo woodland and submontane grassland, often in rocky places 0-1700 m" (Flora Zambesiaca on-line).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Kenya; S. Africa (Natal); Uganda; Zaire (Oriental and Shaba) (Flora Zambesiaca on-line). Sudan through tropical Africa to and including southern Africa (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island		Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.) (1997) (voucher ID: BISH 681897) Taxon name on voucher: Ficus natalensis subsp. leprieurii (Miq.) C.C.Berg.

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 42) ssp. leprieurii (Miq.) C. C. Berg. Cultivated only

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

Information about Ficus natalensis as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

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

References:

Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.). 1997. Voucher specimen #BISH681897(Annable, C.R. 3318).

Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. 2009. A checklist of the total vascular plant flora of Singapore: native, naturalised and cultivated species. Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, National University of Singapore. 273 pp.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2012. Flora Zambesiaca (online resource).