The female Ficus carrii figs shown in this article were obtained by Shuai LIAO a PHD student as part of a genetic study into Section Conosycea figs (Strangling Figs) worldwide.
All photographs are by Shuai LIAO. Collection reference LSL 9401,
The collections were made at Bukit Burong a small forested hill near Kinabalu Park HQ in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, with the help of a team from the Sandakan Herbarium led by Postar Miun, on 8 September 2019.
The photographs below appear to show that the surface of a female Ficus carrii fig is dotted with numerous small yellow bumps which look like seeds (just like the surface of a strawberry fruit). On a different Ficus carrii fig collected at the same time the the yellow dots appear to be sprouting green shoots.
It is not claimed here that the yellow objects on the surface of the fig are pollinated seeds, as with a strawberry fruit.
More likely these objects could be propagules or packaged clones of the parent plant.
Thus if a civet ate a ripe Ficus carrii fig the defecated feces would contain both ripe pollinated seeds and propagule clones of the parent plant.
Ficus carrii is locally common both at Kinabalu Park HQ and also at the Rafflesia Centre in the Crocker Range.
Although young Ficus carrii lianas are common to find it is rare to find the lianas fruiting.
