How to Look at Figs

Species name: ______Growth habit: tree or shrub or climbing vine Stems: Pith hollow or pith solid Young twigs: hairy or hairless

Roots: aerial roots present buttress roots present

Leaves Leaf blade shape: or draw shape: Leaf margin: lobed or entire (smooth margins) Leaf tips: long and tapering (acute, with a drip tip) or blunt (obtuse) Leaf base: tapering to petiole or truncate symmetrical or asymmetrical

Stipules: stipule or terminal bud length: ______stipules fused into 1 or two stipules per node Leaf venation: 1 main vein or several veins from the base side veins few or side veins many Venation angle: parallel or acute or obtuse Leaf hairs: leaves hairless (glabrous) or covered with fne hairs Leaf hair color: golden white yellow other: ______

Figs cauliforous fgs present on woody stems or found in axils of leaves fgs single or paired sessile or stalked Fig diameter:______Fig color:______Fig hairs: leaves hairless (glabrous) or covered with fne hairs Fig hair color: golden white yellow other: ______Fig surface: smooth hairy (pubescent) ribbed fecks of white bracts present on body or base of fgs Fig internal surface: size:______color: ______

Other Notable Features:

Characteristics and Taxonomy of Ficus

Family: Moraceae Genus Ficus = ~850 species Original publication: Linnaeus, Species Plantarum 2: 1059. 1753

Subgenera and examples of commonly grown species:

Subgenus Ficus (~350 species) Africa, Asia, Australasia, Mediterranean Mostly gynodioecious, no bracts among the fowers, free standing trees and shrubs, cauliforous or not, pollination passive Ficus carica L. – common fg Ficus deltoidea Jack – mistletoe fg

Subgenus Sycidium (~100 species) Africa, Asia, Australasia Mostly gynodioecious, no bracts among the fowers, free standing trees and shrubs, cauliforous or not, pollination passive Ficus coronata Spin - creek sandpaper fg Ficus fraseri Miq. - shiny sandpaper fg Ficus montana Burm.f. – oakleaf fg Ficus opposita Miq. – sweet sandpaper fg Ficus tinctoria G.Forst. – dye fg

Subgenus Sycomorus (~15 species) Africa Mostly gynodioecious, no bracts among the fowers, free standing trees and shrubs, cauliforous or not, pollination passive Ficus auriculata Lour. – Roxburgh fg Ficus dammaropsis Diels – highland breadfruit, kapiak Ficus racemosa L. – cluster fg Ficus pumila L. – creeping fg

Subgenus Urostigma (~250 species) Americas, Africa, Asia, Australasia, Mediterranean Monoecious, bracts among the fowers, hemiepiphyte habit, rarely cauliforous, pollination active Ficus aurea Nutt. - Florida strangler fg Ficus benghalensis L. – Indian banyan Ficus benjamina L. – weeping fg Ficus citrifolia Mill. – short-leaved fg Ficus elastica Hornem. - Indian rubber plant Ficus lyrata Warb. – fddle-leaved fg Ficus maclellandii King – Alii fg Ficus macrophylla Desf. ex Pers. – Moreton Bay fg Ficus microcarpa L. – Indian laurel fg Ficus petiolaris Kunth Ficus religiosa L. – sacred fg Ficus rubiginosa Desf. – rusty leaf fg Ficus sycomorus Miq. – sycamore fg Ficus virens Aiton – white fg Ficus watkinsiana F.M.Bailey – Watkins's fg Te classifcation and distribution of Ficus L. according to Corner (1965) and summarized by Berg (1989). Te arrangement of sections within subgenera is alphabetical.

CORNER, E. J. H. 1965. Check-list of Ficus in Asia and Australasia with keys to identifcation. Gardens’ Bulletin Singapore 21: 1–186

BERG, C. C. 1989. Classifcation and distribution of Ficus. Experientia 45: 605–611. Key to California’s Commonly Cultivated Fig Trees

1. Plant a climbing vine, ofen on walls—Creeping Fig (Ficus pumila) 1’ Plant a tree or large shrub, usually free standing 2. Young stems hollow, with little or no pith—Roxburgh Fig (Ficus auriculata) 2’ Young stems with a solid pith 3. Leaves 3- to 5-lobed, deciduous, with 3 main veins from the leaf base— Edible Fig (Ficus carica) 3’ Leaves not lobed, evergreen, with 1 main vein 4. Mature expanded leaves 4.5 inches wide or wider, two stipules (sheaths) covering terminal bud united and falling as a single unit, stipules variously colored but ofen reddish—Rubber Tree (Ficus elastica) 4’ Mature expanded leaves less than 4 inches wide, two stipule sheathes falling separately 5. Leaves covered with fne rust-colored hairs (at least when young) 6. Mature trees with large buttress roots; leaves 2.5 to 4 inches wide, fgs 3/4 to 1 inch wide—Moreton Bay Fig (Ficus macrophylla) 6’ Mature trees without large buttress roots, leaves 1.5 to 2.5 inches wide, fgs 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide—Rusty Leaf Fig (Ficus rubiginosa) 5’ Leaves hairless 7. Leaf blade edge fat, tip pointed but without a long tip; veins conspicuous, usually <10 pairs of lateral veins; fgs turning purple or blackish—Indian Laurel Fig (Ficus microcarpa) 7’ Leaf blade edge wavy, tip long and tapering; veins inconspicuous, numerous; fgs turning orange to yellow or red—Weeping Fig (Ficus benjamina)

Other fgs grown as houseplants or occasionally outdoors in California See Key to California’s Occasionally Cultivated Figs by Don Hodel on backside

Rock Fig (Ficus petiolaris) Sycamore Fig (Ficus sycomorus) Alli Fig (Ficus maclellandii) Fiddle-leaf Fig (Ficus lyrata) Peepul Tree (Ficus religiosa) Mysore Fig (Ficus drupacea) Indian Banyan (Ficus benghalensis) Highland Breadfruit (Ficus dammaropsis) Giant Leaved Fig (Ficus lutea) Watkins' Fig (Ficus watkinsiana) Key to California’s Occasionally Cultivated Figs

by Don Hodel

1. Leaf blades fddle-shaped—Fiddle-leaf Fig (Ficus lyrata) 1’ Leaf blades not fddle-shaped 2. Leaf blades with a long (longer than the leaf is wide) tip at the apex—Peepul Tree (Ficus religiosa) 2’ Leaf blades without a long tip 3. Leaf blades heart-shaped, veins pinkish—Rock Fig (Ficus petiolaris) 3’ Leaf blades not heart-shaped, veins not pinkish 4. Leaf blades large, 16-35 inches long; fgs covered with large, conspicuous bracts—Highland Breadfruit (Ficus dammaropsis) 4’ Leaf blades smaller, less than 15 inches long; fgs not covered with conspicuous bracts 5. Leaf blades with small teeth, especially toward apex; fgs tomato-shaped—Roxburgh’s Fig (Ficus auriculata) 5’ Leaf blades not toothed; fgs variously shaped 6. Leaf blades with 8 or fewer pairs of lateral veins 7. Bark yellowish; fgs borne on short, leafess stems from trunk and main branches—Sycamore Fig (Ficus sycomorus) 7’ Bark gray or tan; fgs borne in leaf axils 8. Leaf blades broadest from mid-blade toward apex, with 6-8 pairs of lateral veins, these and midrib prominent, typically yellowish or cream colored— Giant Leaved Fig (Ficus lutea) 8’ Leaf blades broadest near base, with 5-6 pairs of lateral veins, these and midrib whitish—Indian Banyan (Ficus benghalensis) 6’ Leaf blades with 9 or more pairs of lateral veins 9. Stipules 1.5-2.5 inches long; fgs with prominent “nipple” at apex—Watkin’s Fig (Ficus watkinsiana) 9’ Stipules 0.4-0.8 inch long; wigs without prominent “nipple” at apex 10. Leaf blades spearhead-shaped; stipules 0.4 inch long; fgs globose, 0.3 inch long—Alii Fig (Ficus maclellandii) 10’ Leaf blades egg-shaped; stipules 0.8 inch long; fgs ellipsoid, 1-1.5 inches long—Mysore Fig (Ficus drupacea)