Ficus macrophylla
Moreton Bay fig | |
---|---|
A specimen at The Domain, Sydney, planted in 1850 | |
Fruit and leaves, photographed on Maui, Hawaii | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Rosales |
Family: | Moraceae |
Genus: | Ficus |
Subgenus: | F. subg. Urostigma |
Species: | F. macrophylla
|
Binomial name | |
Ficus macrophylla Pers. | |
Natural range in Eastern Australia (in green) | |
Synonyms | |
Ficus huegelii Kunth & C.D.Bouche, 1846 |
Ficus macrophylla, commonly known as the Moreton Bay fig or Australian banyan, is a large evergreen
Ficus macrophylla is called a strangler fig because seed germination usually takes place in the canopy of a host tree, where the seedling lives as an epiphyte until its roots establish contact with the ground, when it enlarges and strangles its host, eventually becoming a freestanding tree by itself. Individuals may reach 60 m (200 ft) in height, with crown spreads as great as 250 feet (76 metres) being reported. Like all figs, it has an obligate mutualism with fig wasps; figs are pollinated only by fig wasps, and fig wasps can reproduce only in fig flowers. The wasp partner of the Moreton Bay Fig is Pleistodontes froggattii. Many species of birds, including pigeons, parrots, and various passerines, eat the fruit.
Ficus macrophylla is widely used as a feature tree in public parks and gardens in warmer climates such as California, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Malta, northern New Zealand (Auckland), and Australia. Old specimens can reach tremendous size, and their aggressive root system renders them unsuitable for all but the largest private gardens.
Description
Ficus macrophylla is an evergreen tree that can reach heights of 60 m (200 ft).[5] The trunk can be massive, with thick, prominent buttressing, and reach a diameter of 2.4 m (7.9 ft).[6] The rough bark is grey-brown,[7] and marked with various blemishes.[8] The Lord Howe form of Moreton Bay fig has a habit of dropping aerial roots from its branches, which upon reaching the ground, thicken into supplementary trunks which help to support the weight of its crown.[9] The largest specimen reported in a credible source was one reported by forester C.E. Pemberton which was 232 feet (70.6 metres) in height and 101 feet (30.4 metres) to the first branch.[10]
The leaves and branches bleed a milky sap if cut or broken. The figs are 2–2.5 cm (0.8–1 in) in diameter, turning from green to purple with lighter spots as they ripen;
Taxonomy
South African botanist
Australian botanist Charles Moore described Ficus columnaris in 1870 from material collected from Lord Howe Island, choosing the species name from the Latin columnaris for the column-like roots.[16] English botanist E. J. H. Corner reduced this to synonymy with F. macrophylla in 1965, before P. S. Green noted it was distinct enough for subspecies status in 1986. Australian botanist Dale J. Dixon reviewed material and felt the differences too minor to warrant subspecific status,[14] and recognised two forms: Ficus macrophylla f. macrophylla, a free-standing tree endemic to mainland Australia; and Ficus macrophylla f. columnaris, a hemiepiphyte lacking a distinct main trunk and endemic to Lord Howe Island.[11] Review of F. magnolioides by Silvio Fici and Francesco Maria Raimondo found that it was F. macrophylla f. columnaris.[1]
The species is commonly known as the Moreton Bay fig,[6] after Moreton Bay in southern Queensland, although it is found elsewhere. An alternate name—black fig—is derived from the dark colour of the ageing bark.[17]
With over 750 species,
In 2005, Dutch botanist Cornelis Berg completed Corner's treatment of the Moraceae for the Flora Malesiana; the completion of that work had been delayed since 1972 as a result of disagreements between Corner and C. J. J. G. van Steenis, editor of the Flora Malesiana.[21] Berg combined sections Stilpnophyllum and Malvanthera into an expanded section Stilpnophyllum. This left the Moreton Bay fig in subsection Malvanthera, section Stilpnophyllum.[20]
In a 2008 study on DNA sequences from the nuclear ribosomal internal and external transcribed spacers, Danish botanist Nina Rønsted and colleagues rejected previous subdivisions of the Malvanthera. Instead, they divided section Malvanthera into three subsections—Malvantherae, Platypodeae, and Hesperidiiformes. In this system, the Moreton Bay fig is in the subsection Malvantherae, along with F. pleurocarpa. The Malvantherae appear to be basal (an early offshoot) to the group. F. macrophylla form macrophylla is native to mainland Australia, while form columnaris of macrophylla colonised Lord Howe Island.[20] The section Malvanthera itself is thought to have evolved 41 million years ago and radiated around 35 million years ago.[19]
Distribution and habitat
The Moreton Bay fig is a native of eastern coastal Australia, from the Wide Bay–Burnett region in central Queensland,[14] to the Shoalhaven River on the New South Wales south coast.[8] It is found in subtropical, warm temperate, and dry rainforest,[22] where, as an emergent tree, its crown may tower above the canopy,[8] particularly along watercourses on alluvial soils. In the Sydney region, F. macrophylla grows from sea level to 300 m (1000 ft) altitude, in areas with an average yearly rainfall of 1,200–1,800 mm (47–71 in).[23]
It often grows with trees such as white booyong (Argyrodendron trifoliolatum), Flindersia species, giant stinging tree (Dendrocnide excelsa), lacebark (Brachychiton discolor), red cedar (Toona ciliata), hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii), green-leaved fig (Ficus watkinsiana) and Cryptocarya obovata.[22] The soils it grows on are high in nutrients and include Bumbo Latite and Budgong Sandstone.[23] As rainforests were cleared, isolated specimens were left standing in fields as remnant trees,[24] valued for their shade and shelter for livestock.[25] One such tree was a landmark for and gave its name to the Wollongong suburb of Figtree in New South Wales.[24]
Ecology
The huge numbers of fruit produced by the Moreton Bay fig make it a key source of food in the rainforest.
The thrips species Gynaikothrips australis feeds on the underside of new leaves of F. macrophylla, as well as those of F. rubiginosa and F. obliqua. As plant cells die, nearby cells are induced into forming meristem tissue and a gall results and the leaves become distorted and curl over.[31] The thrips begin feeding when the tree has flushes of new growth, and the life cycle is around six weeks. At other times, thrips reside on old leaves without feeding. The species pupates sheltered in the bark. The thrips remain in the galls at night and wander about in the daytime and return in the evening, possibly to different galls about the tree.[32]
Stressed trees can also be attacked by
Reproduction and life span
Figs have an obligate mutualism with fig wasps (Agaonidae); figs are pollinated only by fig wasps, and fig wasps can reproduce only in fig flowers. Generally, each fig species depends on a single species of wasp for pollination. The wasps are similarly dependent on their fig species to reproduce. The mainland and Lord Howe populations of the Moreton Bay fig are both pollinated by Pleistodontes froggatti.[14][34]
As is the case with all figs, the fruit is an inverted inflorescence known as a syconium, with tiny flowers arising from the inner surface.[8] Ficus macrophylla is monoecious—both male and female flowers are found on the same plant, and, in fact, in the same fruit, although they mature at different times. Female wasps enter the syconium and lay eggs in the female flowers as they mature. These eggs later hatch and the progeny mate. The females of the new generation collect pollen from the male flowers, which have matured by this point, and leave to visit other syconia and repeat the process. A field study in Brisbane found that F. macrophylla trees often bore both male and female syconia at the same time—which could be beneficial for reproduction in small, isolated populations such as those on islands. The same study found that male phase syconia development persisted through the winter, showing that its wasp pollinator tolerated cooler weather than those of more tropical fig species. F. macrophylla itself can endure cooler climates than other fig species.[35] Moreton Bay fig trees live for over 100 years in the wild.[23]
Potentially invasive species
Ficus macrophylla is commonly cultivated in
Cultivation
The Moreton Bay fig has been widely used in public parks in frost-free areas, and was popular with early settlers of Australia.
Especially due to their tendency for root buttressing, they are frequently seen as bonsai, although they are much more suited to larger styles as their large leaves do not reduce much in size and their stems have long intervals (internodal spaces) between successive leaves.[40] It can be used as an indoor plant in medium to brightly lit indoor spaces.[41]
Notable specimens
Large specimens of Moreton Bay fig trees are found in many parks and properties throughout eastern and northeastern Australia. The
The Moreton Bay fig was introduced into cultivation into
Two South African specimens, in the
Uses
The soft light timber has a wavy texture and is used for cases.[6] Aboriginal people traditionally use the fibres for fishing nets.[6] The fruits are edible and taste like other fig varieties.[55][6]
See also
References
- ^ .
- ^ Australian Encyclopedia, (1958 edition) Volume 5 page 369
- ^ Nicholson, Nan and Huge (1991). Australian Rainforest Plants III. The Channon, N.S.W.: <published privately>. p. 29.
- ^ The New Practical Reference Library. article "Banyan" ( Kansas City, Mo: Roach-Fowler Publishing Company, 1912) page <unpaginated>
- ^ a b c Starr, Forest; Starr, Kim; Loope, Lloyd (2003). "Ficus macrophylla – Moreton bay fig – Moraceae" (PDF). Haleakala Field Station, Maui, Hawai'i: United States Geological Survey—Biological Resources Division. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-9589436-7-3.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-947334-08-6.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7318-1031-4.
- ^ Harden, Gwen J. "Ficus macrophylla Desf. ex Pers". New South Wales Flora online. NSW Herbarium. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
- ^ Condit, Ira, "Ficus - The Exotic Species" Univ. of California page 115
- ^ .
- ^ Persoon, Christiaan Hendrik (1807). Synopsis plantarum,seu Enchiridium botanicum, complectens enumerationem systematicam specierum hucusque cognitarum (in Latin). Vol. 2. Paris, France: C.F. Cramerum. p. 609.
- ^ Desfontaines, René Louiche (1804). Tableau de l'Ecole de Botanique du Museum d'Histoire Naturelle (in French). Vol. 1–2. p. 209.
- ^ doi:10.1071/SB99026.
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- JSTOR 4135449.
- ^ a b Rønsted, Nina; Weiblen, George D.; Clement, W. L.; Zerega, N. J. C.; Savolainen, V. (2008). "Reconstructing the phylogeny of figs (Ficus, Moraceae) to reveal the history of the fig pollination mutualism" (PDF). Symbiosis. 45 (1–3): 45–56.
- ^ PMID 18490180.
- .
- ^ ISBN 978-0-643-06969-5.
- ^ a b c d e f Benson, Doug; McDougall, Lyn (1997). "Ecology of Sydney Plant Species Part 5: Dicotyledon Families Flacourtiaceae to Myrsinaceae" (PDF). Cunninghamia. 5 (2): 330–544 [523]. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 December 2015.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-9594711-0-6.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-85091-589-1.
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- ^ Eby., P. "Diet Species of the Grey-headed Flying-fox in the Sydney Region". Ku-ring-gai Bat Conservation Society Inc. Archived from the original on 14 September 2009. Retrieved 3 May 2009.
- S2CID 53202910.
- ^ Lloyd, Janine; Davies, Kerrie A. (1997). "Two new species of Schistonchus (Tylenchida: Aphelenchoididae) associated with Ficus macrophylla from Australia". Fundamental and Applied Nematology. 20 (1): 79–86.
- ISSN 1440-6055.
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- ^ Gray, Peter (2017). "Brown Root Rot" (PDF). Retrieved 20 April 2018.
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- doi:10.1080/0028825x.1996.10412697. Archived from the originalon 19 July 2008.
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- ^ de Beuzeville, W.A.W. (1947). Australian Trees for Australian Planting. Sydney, New South Wales: Forestry Commission of New South Wales/ A. H. Pettifer, Government Printer. pp. 47–48.
- ISBN 978-0-908175-66-6.
- ISBN 978-0-949773-49-4.
- ^ "Moreton Bay Fig – Mount Keira". National Tree Register of Big Trees. Retrieved 23 November 2011.
- ^ "Historic Moreton Bay fig being felled to make way for Sydney light rail". The Guardian. 11 July 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
- ISBN 978-0-589-01532-9.
- ^ "Landslide 2007: Heroes of Horticulture / The Cultural Landscape Foundation". www.tclf.org.
- ^ Masters, Nathan (2018). "Majestic Mammoths: A Brief History of L.A.'s Moreton Bay Fig Trees". KCETLink (formerly Community Television of Southern California). Retrieved 3 April 2018.
- ^ "theNAT | Moreton Bay Fig Tree". San Diego Natural History Museum. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- ISBN 9780971098411.
- ^ Hayes, Virginia (21 December 2011). "S.B. Big Trees: The Moreton Bay Fig Tree was Planted from a Cutting from Australia". Santa Barbara Independent. Archived from the original on 19 March 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
- ^ The Cultural Landscape Foundation (2010). "Aoyama Tree". Every Tree Tells a Story: The Cultural Landscape Foundation's 2010 Landslide. Washington, D.C.: The Cultural Landscape Foundation. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
- ^ Versluis, Jeanne-Marié (4 January 2012). "Reuse-vyeboom op kampioen-lys". Beeld. Archived from the original on 9 April 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
- ^ Schwan, Angeliné. "Who planted this massive tree?". National Zoological Gardens of South Africa. National Research Foundation. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
- ISBN 978-0-297-84300-9.
- ISBN 978-1-78453-083-9.
- ^ Native Nibbles, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 13 May 2017, retrieved 16 June 2022
External links
- "Ficus macrophylla". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.