Ficus ridleyana is a little known earth fig confined to wet hill forest in the Malay Peninsula and to wet forest in the extreme SE of Southern Thailand (Narathiwat).
According to Corner (1933) in the 1930’s it was equally as common as two other common Malayan earth figs Ficus malayana and Ficus beccarii.
The lack of recent records may be the result of taxonomic confusion with the closely related Ficus vrieseana which is similar but with an allopatric distribution in Sumatra and Java where it replaces Ficus ridleyana. Ridley who discovered this fig originally in 1926 in Negri Sembilan noted that the tiny internal flowers are similar to those of Ficus treubii which is a Borneo endemic.
The confused taxonomic history of Ficus ridleyana
| 1926 | F. chamaecarpa | Ridley, Kew Bulletin |
| 1933 | F. ridleyana | Corner, JMBRAS |
| 1960 | F. vrieseana | Corner GBS |
| 2005 | F. vrieseana | Berg & Corner, Flora Malesiana |
| 2007 | F. ridleyana | Berg & Chantarasuwan, Blumea |
| 2011 | F. ridleyana | Berg & Chantarasuwan, Figs of Thailand |
Distinguishing Features Ficus ridleyana
- Edge of leaf is serrated
- No bracts on the surface of the fig
- Surface of figs and twigs covered more or less in prominent dark hairs
- Base of leaf may be asymmetrical
