Ficus villosa a very common root climber photographed by Elliot Gardner at Rumah Mamut at Kapit in Sarawak. Collection #EG832.
Ficus villosa is frequently confused with a very similar root climber Ficus sagittata.
According to Berg (2011) in Flora of Thailand Pg. 579 the differences between F. villosa and F. sagittata are as follows;
- villosa: Lateral veins and smaller veins prominent beneath. Hairs on the lamina often (partly) patent (upright).
- sagittata: Lateral veins slightly prominent beneath, the smaller veins (almost) flush; hairs on the lamina (leaf) appressed (flat).
In the photos below you will see that the hairs on the rear of the leaf are relatively short sharp and upright in contrast to the longer softer hairs of Ficus sagittata which normally lie flat against the surface of the leaf.
These photos were taken as part of a project entitled Ethnobotany and ethnotaxonomy of Moraceae in Sarawak supported by the National Parks Board of Singapore.
