Although Ficus punctata produces the largest fig fruits in Borneo up to 15 cm wide and 18 cm long the leaves are some of the smallest leaves of any fig. Most of the juvenile leaves shown above are 0.5 wide x 1 to 2 cm long. Note that the juvenile leaves are highly asymmetrical (unbalanced in shape).
All the leaves shown in this article are the juvenile (bathyphyll) leaves, apart from the leaves immediately below which are the adult (acrophyll) leaves. The adult leaves are perfectly symmetrical (balanced in shape).
At ground level it is normal only to find the juvenile leaves. Adult leaves are usually only produced high up in the canopy, when the this giant liana starts fruiting.
Photos and information provided by Shavez Cheema and Chun Xing WONG of 1Stop Borneo Wildlife.
Adult leaves of Ficus punctata. Note that the adult leaves are symmetrical unlike the juvenile leaves which are highly asymmetrical (uneven).
Juvenile leaves of Ficus punctata growing on an old stump at Tawau in Sabah.
Juvenile (acrophyll) leaf of Ficus punctata.
Juvenile (acrophyll) leaf of Ficus punctata.
ABOVE: The introduction to Corners (1939 ) article in the Bulletin of the Singapore Botanic Gardens on the Section Synoecia figs of the Malesian botanical region.
At the time Corner was the assistant director of the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Synoecia figs have since been renamed Section Kalosyce.
Borneo and especially Kinabalu is the world center of diversity for Section Kalosyce.
At least 17 Section Kalosyce fig species are known from Borneo the majority of which are endemic.
Corner was puzzled about two particular features of Section Kalosyce; (1) How they were dispersed and (2) The varieties of sizes, shapes and colors of the very large fig fruits produced by Ficus punctata. which led Corner to describe Ficus punctata as three different species. These are (a) Ficus callicarpa (aurantiacea) for the smaller shiny figs and (b) Ficus punctata and Ficus barba jovis for the larger more hairy figs.