Ficus kochummeniana is a small Section Conosycea strangler which is found in poor soil habitats throughout Borneo.
These habitats include peat swamp and (kerangas) sandy soil forest. This individual fig tree was photographed on a rocky coastal headland (Tg Batu) leading into Brunei Bay at Merintaman Beach, Sipitang. Merintaman Beach is backed by the degraded peat swamp forest of the Merintaman Mengalong State Park previously a heavily logged and burnt forest reserve.
Ficus kochummenina is easily distinguished because it is one of only three strangler figs in which both the side veins and the tertiary veins are sunken on the upper surface of the leaf leading to a crinkled appearance. Only 2 other Section Conosycea figs have leaves with similar crinkles. These are Ficus forstenii and (sometimes) Ficus annulata.
Photos and information provided by Shavez Cheema and Chun Xing WONG of 1Stop Borneo Wildlife.
