Ficus tinctoria var gibbosa photographed at Tawau by Dr Zainal Zahari Zainuddin.
This fig has a very unusual disjunct distribution in Borneo. Around Kota Kinabalu and Kuching this is the most common fig, often found growing in cracks in old buildings. However this fig appears to be absent from Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei) and Sandakan. There are so far no records from Kalimantan. In forested areas this fig is common on limestone cliffs at Mulu and in the Bungo range near Kuching. Around towns the distribution is probably related to primary dispersal by Glossy Starlings and secondary dispersal by ants but this has yet to be investigated. In Kuching ants empty the ripe male figs and use them as temporary domatia (housing).
