EUMORPHA Ficus eumorpha Corner (1960) SECTION: ERIOSYCEA
Greek: Good shape – perhaps referring to the attractive leaves.
Plant: Small tree to 18m found in open areas on mountain slopes especially where the soil is poor. The leaf is rough above and furry below and very variable in shape from palmate to oval
Fig: The large fig 1.5-2.5cm is hairy outside and full of sharp hairs inside. The fig ripens from brown to yellow to orange to red.
Sex: Dioecious
Similar species. One of 13 species of Section:Eriosycea figs in Borneo with hairy figs and often hairy twigs and leaves.
Distinguish by the very distinctive hairy leaves. The closely related F. subglabritepala differs in having leaves that are less hairy and is not found in Sabah. See Berg (2005)
Stipules: Ficus eumorpha has a dark brown stipule. Ficus brunneoaurata and Ficus endospemifoila both have orange red stipules. Ficus aurata and Ficus fulva both have green stipules.
Distribution: Despite its restricted distribution this rare fig very easy to find. A higher montane endemic locally common in areas of ultramafic soils on Kinabalu eg Marai Parai and Mesilau (along the path past the cave) and at the Kiau Gap on the road from Kinabalu Park HQ to the Timpohon Gate. Common along the Gunung Alab summit road in the Crocker Range. There are records from the summit of Gng Pagon in Brunei and the higher slopes of Gng Mulu in NW Sarawak. In the Kelabit Highlands and the central mountain chain of Kalimantan this species is replaced by Ficus subglabritepala. There do not appear to be any sympatric (overlapping records) suggesting that F. subglabritepala is a sub-species of Ficus eumorpha rather than a separate species.
