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Ficus rumphii (cream-green leaves)
| Family Name: | Moraceae |
| Common Name: | Golden Rumph’s Fig, Golden Mock Bodhi Tree, 乳边心叶榕, 乳边假菩提树 |
Name
Classifications and Characteristics
| Plant Division | Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Dicotyledon) |
|---|---|
| Plant Growth Form | Tree |
| Lifespan (in Singapore) | Perennial |
| Mode of Nutrition | Autotrophic |
| Plant Shape | Rounded |
| Maximum Height | 12 m to 15 m |
Biogeography
| Local Conservation Status | Non-native |
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Description and Ethnobotany
| Growth Form | Small to medium-sized tree, up to 15m height under cultivation. Crown dense and rounded. |
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| Trunk | Solitary for standalone trees, massively caudiciform (swollen), with network of clasping aerial roots that eventually thicken to form pillar roots. Bark grey-brown, shallowly-cracked. |
| Foliage | Leaves variegated, with distinct mottled grey-green centre integrating unevenly into pale creamy margins; some leaves totally albino-creamy in colour, characteristical of a chimeric cultivar. Obovate to obovate-cordate in shape, with wavy edges and slight drip-tip that is less distinct than that found on the similar-looking leaves of Ficus religiosa (Bodhi Tree). Species form known to be deciduous from winter to early spring in sub-tropical climates, while this cultivar exhibits occasional leaf-shed towards end of the year under local conditions, during which the crown becomes relatively bare for some 1-2 months. |
| Others - Plant Morphology | Category: Hemi-epiphytic strangler tree-fig. (Wild specimens of the species form usually start life as self-sown epiphytes on host trees or in building crevices.)Flowers & Fruits: Plant is monoecious, with minute male, gall (sterile) and female flowers found in separate synconium receptacles on the same tree. Reproductive stage for this cultivar has not been observed under local conditions.Ethymology: Genus epithet 'Ficus' derived from Latin name for edible fig Ficus carica. Species epithet 'rumphii' named in honor of tragedy-plagued German-born Dutch naturalist, Georg Everhard Rumpf (Rumphius, 1627-1702), who authored the seminal 'Herbarium Amboinens', which first described several tropical plant species later credited to father of modern taxonomy Linnaeus, and whose content contributed to Linnaeus' subsequent development of the binomial taxonomic classification system. |
| Cultivation | Slow-growing but hardy. Drought-tolerant when mature. Appears to prefer acidic soils. Allow enough room for growth of trunk. Propagate by stem cuttng and air-layering. Note: All cut or bruised plant surfaces exude a milky sap that is toxic if ingested, may also cause skin irritation in susceptible individuals.. |
Landscaping Features
| Desirable Plant Features | Ornamental Foliage |
|---|---|
| Landscape Uses | Suitable for Bonsai, General, Shade Providing Tree / Palm, Focal Plant |
| Thematic Landscaping | Golden Garden, Naturalistic Garden |
| Usage Hazard - Cons | Irritant - Sap |
| Usage Hazard - Cons Remarks | Injured surfaces exude milky white sap. |
Fauna, Pollination and Dispersal
| Pollination Method(s) | Biotic (Fauna) (Insects (Ant, Beetle, Fly, Thrip, Wasp)) |
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Plant Care and Propagation
| Light Preference | Full Sun |
|---|---|
| Water Preference | Moderate Water |
| Plant Growth Rate | Slow |
| Rootzone Tolerance | Drought Tolerant, Fertile Loamy Soils, Well-Drained Soils, Acidic (low pH) Soils |
| Maintenance Requirements | Moderate |
| Propagation Method | Stem Cutting, Air-Layering |
Foliar
| Foliage Retention | Drought / Semi-Deciduous |
|---|---|
| Mature Foliage Colour(s) | Cream / Off-White, Green |
| Mature Foliage Texture(s) | Smooth |
| Foliar Type | Simple / Unifoliate |
| Foliar Arrangement Along Stem | Alternate |
| Foliar Shape(s) | Non-Palm Foliage (Obovate, Cordate) |
| Foliar Venation | Pinnate / Net |
| Foliar Margin | Entire - Wavy / Undulate |
| Foliar Apex - Tip | Cuspidate |
| Foliar Base | Rounded / Obtuse |
| Typical Foliar Area | Notophyll ( 20.25cm2 - 45 cm2 ) |
| Leaf Area Index (LAI) for Green Plot Ratio | 4.0 (Tree - Dense Canopy) |
Non - Foliar and Storage
| Trunk Type (Non Palm) | Woody |
|---|---|
| Mature Bark Texture | Smooth |
| Stem Type & Modification | Woody |
| Root Type | Underground (Tap Root, Fibrous Root), Aboveground (Aerial Root) |
| Specialised Storage Organ(s) | Aboveground |
Floral (Angiosperm)
| Flower & Plant Sexuality | Unisexual Flowers , Monoecious |
| Inflorescence Type | Syconium |
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| Flowering Period Remarks | Not observed yet in Singapore |
Fruit, Seed and Spore
| Fruit Classification | Simple Fruit |
|---|---|
| Fruit Type | Fleshy Fruit , Multiple Syconium (receptacle) |
Image Repository
Others
| Master ID | 29163 |
|---|---|
| Species ID | 3472 |
| Flora Disclaimer | The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes. |
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