''Ficus cordata'', the Namaqua rock fig, or Namaqua fig is a species of fig that occurs in two disjunct populations in Africa, one in the arid southwest of the continent, and a second in the northern subtropics. In the south it is often the largest and most prominent tree, and is virtually restricted to cliff faces and rock outcrops, where it has a rock-splitting habit.

Subspecies

The subspecies are: * ''F. c. cordata'' – southwestern Africa * ''F. c. lecardii'' (Warb.) C.C.Berg – Senegal to central Africa

Range and habitat

The nominate subspecies is native to arid western

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

Namibia Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country on the west coast of Southern Africa. Its borders include the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south; in the no ...

and southwestern

Angola Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...

, while a second subspecies is native to Africa's northern subtropics. The nominate subspecies is found in

fynbos Fynbos (; , ) is a small belt of natural shrubland or heathland vegetation located in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. The area is predominantly coastal and mountainous, with a Mediterranean climate. The fynbos ...

succulent Karoo The Succulent Karoo is an terrestrial ecoregion, ecoregion defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature to include regions of deserts and xeric shrublands, desert in South Africa and Namibia, and a biodiversity hotspot. The geographic area chosen ...

and

Nama Karoo Nama Karoo is a xeric shrubland ecoregion located on the central plateau of South Africa and Namibia. It occupies most of the interior of the western half of South Africa and extends into the southern interior of Namibia. Climate The climate o ...

, while the northern subspecies is found in savannah, up to 1,500 m above sea level.

Species associations

The nominate subspecies is pollinated by the wasp '' Platyscapa desertorum'' Compton. The wasp '' Comptoniella vannoorti'' Wiebes is an associated non-pollinator that oviposits through the fig wall. The pollinator wasp of the northern subspecies, ''F. c. lecardii'', is as yet unknown.

Similar species

'' F. salicifolia'', the Wonderboom, is sometimes deemed a third subspecies of ''Ficus cordata'', i.e. ''F. c.'' subsp. ''salicifolia'' (Vahl) C.C.Berg, but it lacks the yellowish sessile figs of ''F. cordata'', and its range is much to the east. Ficus cordata IMG 8504

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15261017 Trees of Africa Flora of Southern Africa cordata