Ficus albipila has a reputation for being one of Borneo’s least common figs but on a fig survey along the Kinabatangan River carried out in late December 2016 we found it to be locally common in the Kinabatangan flood plain forests. This individual appeared to be nearly 60 m tall which would qualify this tree for being Borneo’s tallest stand alone fig tree. The widest fig tree is probably this Ficus virens near Kota Belud in Sabah.
Ficus albipila, 5 minutes boat ride south of Sukau, Kinabatangan River, Sabah. Note the pale shiny straight trunk and the strongly upright branches.Our fig survey party on 24 December 2016 included two very experienced local field botanists Balut and Markiss seconded from the Sabah Forest Department. They were in the area to do an orangutan plant food survey for HUTAN an Orangutan Research NGO based on the Kinabatangan River. From left to right (1) Balut, (2) Tony Lamb, (3) Quentin Phillipps (4) Anthea Phillipps (5) Markiss.Ficus albipila, Sukau. In late December 2016 we could recognize several Ficus albipila trees along the Kinabatangan river by (1) Their large size, (2) Straight pale trunk, (3) Upright uneven branches (4) Large heavily predated leaves (5) Some bare branches. We suspected that they were just about to renew their leaves.Ficus albipila, Sukau. Some twigs were already bare. All the Ficus albipila trees we saw were in the same state and therefore easy to recognize.Ficus albipila, Sukau. Leaves collected from the base of the tree photographed above. Note that the surface of the leaf is shiny typical of the 5 species of Section Oreosycea figs found in Borneo.
