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Ficus forstenii & F. caulocarpa share Callophyllum host at Maliau

This tree (believed to be a Calophyllum species)  growing next to the road to Agathis Camp at Maliau has  been colonised by two different species of hemi-epiphytic “stranglers”.

There are three different groups of the leaves in this photo. The leaves at the very top belong to the host tree. The lighter green leaves in the middle belong to a Ficus forstenii and the darker leaves  on the lower left hand side of the tree belong to  a different undetermined strangler.
Top Row  LHS Ficus  caulocarpa, RHS Callophyllum host tree. Bottom Row  Ficus forstenii 
This photo shows the very different leaves of the two stranglers. The ficus in front which is about to fruit is  Ficus caulocarpa. The leaves at the back  are  Ficus forstenii.
Two different sets of hanging roots  have reached the ground. There is no evidence that either  epiphytic ficus is attempting to strangle the  host tree, however the burden of carrying two different  epiphytic ficus is  probably  unsustainable  and when the host tree dies it will take the two ficus with it.
The road to Agathis Camp at Maliau. The host  tree with the two  hemi-epiphytic “stranglers” is on the left.
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