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)

Common name(s): [more details]

English: bark-cloth fig, Natal fig

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. 2013. Flora Zambesiaca (online resource).

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2013. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.