Site icon THE FIGS OF BORNEO

Ficus rubrocuspidata, Sayap, Kinabalu

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Ficus rubrocuspidata scrambling around a tree at the Sayap sub-station on the western slopes of Kinabalu in January 2018.  Ficus rubrocuspidata is a common Borneo endemic fig with with a preference for very wet forest including the banks of streams.

The leaves are similar  to another rare Borneo endemic fig also found at Sayap, Ficus leptocalama but the fig fruits look very different.

The tall tree (middle right) hosts a straggling root climbing fig, Ficus densechini with very large figs the size of large oranges. Middle left is the Ficus rubrocusidata shrub illustrated earlier. Two very interesting  endemic Borneo figs growing next to each other at Sayap in the Kinabalu Park. One with giant fig fruit, the other with tiny fig fruit. Honor Phillipps to show the scale.
Note that the fig fruit are all different sizes  and stages of ripeness  indicating that this shrub is fruiting almost continuously not in one big bang.

 

There is no visitor accommodation at Sayap sub-station but many delightful homestays in Kampong  Sayap only 20 minutes drive away. From Kota Kinabalu the drive to Sayap takes 3 hours or approximately 1.5 hours from Kota Belud. If you are driving to Sayap from Kota Belud follow the road to Ranau and Kinabalu. About 3 km out of town  take a left over the bridge across the Tempassuk River and  follow the sign indicating Sayap.

 

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