The large pink “flushing stipule” of Ficus crassiramea at Kg Sungai Bunga, Pulau Riong, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam.
A characteristic habit of Ficus crassiramea is to produce new leaves in one big flush with all the twigs producing new leaves at the same time. These episodes are signaled by the production of giant pink stipules which act as a protective cover for the new leaves. As the leaves grow the stipules fall off and litter the ground below the tree in a pink carpet. Ficus subgelderi is known to have the same habit.
In between flushes the twigs of Ficus crassiramea end in a normal “resting stipule”. See below.
Photos by Nick Hoggerzin
The orange arrow points to the normal "resting stipule" of a Ficus crassiramea sapling.
Ficus crassiramea often grows as a giant stand alone tree but usually begins life as an epipytic sapling on a host tree.