''Ficus polita'', the heart-leaved fig, is a species of
fig that is native to forests of
tropical Africa
The Afrotropical realm is one of the Earth's eight biogeographic realms. It includes Sub-Saharan Africa, the southern Arabian Peninsula, the island of Madagascar, and the islands of the western Indian Ocean. It was formerly known as the Ethiopi ...
,
Distribution
The tree is found in Lowland rainforest and gallery forest (west and central Africa), coastal & dry forest (east and southern African coast), and on
Madagascar
Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...
. It grows up to elevations of .
Description
''Ficus polita'' is similar to the Pondoland fig, (''
Ficus bizanae''), an endemic tropical forest species in South Africa. The leaves have entire margins and are often heart-shaped, with the tip acuminate.
[
The figs are borne on old wood, in small clusters on stumpy branchlets.][
]
Gallery
Image:Ficus polita (nom), bas, Manie van der Schijff BT.jpg,
Image:Ficus polita (nom), blare, Manie van der Schijff BT.jpg,
Image:Ficus polita (nom), vye, Manie van der Schijff BT, a.jpg,
Image:Ficus polita (nom), vy, b, Manie van der Schijff BT.jpg,
References
External links
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{{Taxonbar, from=Q15477840
polita
Trees of Africa
Flora of the Afrotropical realm
Plants described in 1805
Taxa named by Martin Vahl