Ficus talbotii, fruiting in the Belum-Temenggor Forest Complex (BTFC) located in Perak at the northern end of the Malay Peninsula on the Thai- Malaysia border.
The natural range of Ficus talbotii is Sri Lanka, India, Yunnan (China), Vietnam, Thailand south to the Batu Caves at Kuala Lumpur in the Malay Peninsula.
Ficus talbotii is very common in parts of its wide range e.g. in India but does not occur in Borneo or on any of the surrounding islands.
Ficus talbotii is extremely variable in appearance and is best regarded as a complex of related species which may occur in the same location (sympatric).
It appears that in the north of the Malay Peninsula Ficus talbotii occurs in two varieties (smooth) and (hairy) which are sympatric.
This article is about the smooth variety of Ficus talbotii.
Further confusion arises because the leaves and figs of the smooth variety resemble Ficus subgelderii whilst the leaves and figs of the hairy variety resemble the leaves and figs of Ficus consociata. This may be the result of convergent evolution due to the advantages of mimicry.
The individual smooth fig fruits and leaves shown the photos below look similar to the figs of Ficus subgelderi but can be told apart by the flat sunken ostiole of Ficus talbotii.. See this post.
These photographs originate from research into the importance of figs in the diet of the local hornbills (10 species) at BTFC.
With thanks to YEAP Chin-Aik.
