Assignment/exercise
USC Plant Profile - Moraceae, Ficus macrophylla
University of the Sunshine Coast
2022
Appears in UniSC Plant Profiles
Abstract
Habitat: Distributed in subtropical, warm temperate and dry tropical rainforest habitats, often near waterways ranging from central Queensland to southern New South Wales (Plant Net 2022).
Description: Large spreading evergreen tree 15-30m high. Epiphytic with seeds germinating in the canopy of the host tree, sending roots down to the ground floor, eventually growing and engulfing the host tree. Often with a buttress trunk and large oval shaped elliptical leaves approximately 10-25cm long the upper surface is glabrous and green with the lower surface covered in scales giving it a rusty appearance. The fruit is small and orange when young turning purple at maturity, and defined as a syconium, where the inflorescence is inverted, lining the internal cavity with the flowers (Encyclopedia of living forms 2012-2022).
History: Ficus is Latin name for edible fig and macrophylla derived from the Greek word macros meaning large or long with phyllon referring to the size of the leaf.
Ecological function/service: Australian indigenous utilised the root buttress in shields while the bark and branches were made into canoes (Encyclopedia of living forms 2012-2022).
Has obligate mutualism with fig wasps (Pleistodontes froggatti) and can only be pollinated by the fig wasps and the wasp reproduces only in fig flowers. Fig fruit eaten by passerines, top knot pigeons, wompoo fruit dove, parrots, grey headed flying fox and rodents (Australian Native Plant Society 2008-2022).
Details
- Title
- USC Plant Profile - Moraceae, Ficus macrophylla
- Authors
- Kellie Newport (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and Engineering
- Location
- Latitude: -26.715 Longitude: 153.060; Entrance of USC Sippy Creek Campus
- Publisher
- University of the Sunshine Coast
- Date collected
- 12-Apr-2022
- Date published
- 2022
- Copyright note
- © The Author. Reproduced with permission.
- Organisation Unit
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99708798102621
- Output Type
- Assignment/exercise; Plant Profile Sheet
- Teaching and Learning
- ENS221; Plant Diversity and Ecology
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