It has always been a puzzle to understand why Ficus altissima a common fig in the countries surrounding Borneo had never been recorded in Borneo itself.
In the Flora Malesiana treatment of Ficus, Berg & Corner (2005) the distribution of Ficus altissima is given as ” India to S China, Myanmar, Indochina, Thailand, Andaman Islands; In Malesia: Sumatra, Malay Peninsula, Java, Philippines (Luzon), Mindoro, Mindanao, Sulawesi” but with no mention of Borneo.
In 2021 I predicted that Ficus altissima would one day be discovered in Borneo and thanks to the diligence and hard work of Ripin a thriving young Ficus altissima strangler has been discovered in the Meratus mountains of South Kalimantan, one of the most seasonally dry areas of forest in the whole of Borneo. As figs can only survive in populations not as lone individuals (due to the need for reciprocal pollination services provided by fig wasps arriving from neighboring F. altissima trees) there must be a small population of Ficus altissima surviving in the Meratus mountains.
Thanks to Ripin for information and photographs.
