HANGING FIG Ficus pendens Corner (1960) SECTION: KALOSYCE
Latin: Hanging – referring to the floppy (hanging) fruiting branches.
A root climbing liana very similar to Ficus villosa and equally hairy in all parts.
Leaf: As with other Section Rhizocladus root climbing figs, most often encountered in the juvenile phase with the lower bathyphyll (juvenile phase) leaves pressed against a trunk. The acrophyll leaves measure 5-15 cm but up to 20cm long by 1.5 x 5 cm wide and have 3-7 (average 5) side veins. The leaf is hairy along the main veins above but thickly hairy below.
Fig: The small hairy figs (0.5 -0.1 cm) ripen yellow to orange.
Similar species: F villosa.
Distinguish: (1) F.villosa has 6-10 side veins, F. pendens averages 5.
(2) Petioles (leaf stalks) of F. villosa are normally more than 1 cm in length but with F. pendens they are normally less than 1 cm long.
(3) The figs of F. pendens normally have no or a very short peduncle (stalk) whereas with F. villosa they are usually stipitate with a peduncle.
(4) The figs of F. pendens are thickly hairy and only found in the leaf axils whereas with F. villosa they are usually glaborous and also occur along the branches of previous seasons growth.
Distribution: The online NATURALIS Herbarium has only 11 Borneo collections showing a widespread distribution in the lowlands and hills.
Range: Malaya, Sumatra, Java, Borneo.