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Ficus lepicarpa: Male & Female figs compared, BORA, Tabin, Sabah

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ABOVE: The  red circles show the male flowers (stamens)  surrounding the ostiole exit tunnel on a male Ficus lepicarpa fig fruit.  The round white/pink objects  are the gall flowers which act as brood chambers for fig wasps. The wasps  have not  yet hatched from the gall flowers.

Information on the BORA Rhino Orchard

Fig section photos by Dr Zainal Zahari Zainuddin 

Ficus lepicarpa fig fruits. Female (left), full of immature seeds. Male (right)  full of gall flowers and the male stamens. Note that as with several other section Sycocarpus bat figs which ripen green the ripe female fig interior are reddish to bright red whilst the male fig interiors are much duller.  The same principle applies to Ficus fistulosa and Ficus tengerensis. Presumably these colour differences have evolved so that animals will be attracted to damaged female fig fruits.
Feeding Ficus lepicarpa leaves and fruit to one of the rhinos.

The Tomanggong Road at Tabin wildlife reserve with the entrance to the mud volcano on the left. The tree above the  entrance on the left is a Ficus lepicarpa. 

 

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