Approximately two thirds of the fig plants in Borneo are DIOECIOUS with separate male and female trees. The fig fruit of male trees act as  incubators for pollinating fig wasps. Male figs are not eaten by animals and rot on the tree once the fig wasps leave. The fig fruit of female trees produce seeds but not wasps. As soon as the seeds are “ripe” the female fig is  removed by dispersers- in the case of Ficus satterthwaitei this would be either a small fruit bat or a palm civet.

The male Ficus satterthwaitei tree  photographed above next to the entrance to the butterfly garden at Poring in the Kinabalu Park is a good example of how to tell female fig trees from male fig trees. This tree is obviously male because mixed in with the green figs are numerous enlarged pale yellow figs  some of which appear to be rotting.

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Male figs which have fallen to the ground uneaten. Notice the hole through the ostiole of the male fig middle row left. This is the hole made by exiting fig wasps and is a certain sign that the fig is male from a male tree..
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A closer view of a cut fig shows that inside instead of seeds there are  numerous gall flowers which have been incubating fig wasps. The exit holes in each individual gall shows that the fig wasps have now left.

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