Ficus natalensis at the Malesiana Tropicals Sdn Bhd plant nursery at Bau near Kuching.
Note that Ficus natalensis is not native to Borneo. Ficus natalensis is native to West Africa but is grown worldwide as an ornamental. The variety grown in Borneo is believed to be a parthenocarpic variety (can produce fruit without pollination) but which cannot produce viable seeds and therefore must be propagated via cuttings. F. natalensis is often mistaken for the similar Bornean native Ficus deltoidea. These 2 fig species are easy to distinguish. F. deltoidea always has one or more black glands on the underside of the leaf whereas F. natalensis never has black glands on the underside of the leaf.
Malesiana Tropicals hosts the Rescuing Borneo Project which is growing a large variety of native tree saplings. These young trees will be used to restore forest in Borneo which has been damaged by logging or swidden farming. At least 40 species of native Bornean figs are being grown, some of them very rare.
All photos thanks to Tim Hatch and Peter Boyce.
