Back
Ficus rumphii 'Variegata'
| Family Name: | Moraceae |
| Synonyms: | Urostigma cordifolium 'Variegata', Ficus cordifolia 'Variegata' |
| Common Name: | Variegated Rumph's Fig, Variegated Mock Bodhi Tree, 金斑心叶榕, 金斑假菩提树 |
Name
Classifications and Characteristics
| Plant Division | Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Dicotyledon) |
|---|---|
| Plant Growth Form | Tree (Small (6m-15m)) |
| Lifespan (in Singapore) | Perennial |
| Mode of Nutrition | Autotrophic |
| Plant Shape | Rounded |
| Maximum Height | 12 m to 15 m |
Description and Ethnobotany
| Growth Form | Small to medium-sized tree, reaching around 15m height under cultivation. Crown rounded and dense. |
|---|---|
| Trunk | Solitary for standalone trees, massively swollen even in juvenile specimens, with network of clasping aerial roots that eventually thicken to form pillar roots. Bark grey-brown, shallowly-cracked. |
| Foliage | Leaves inconsistently variegated with hues varying from leaf to leaf, even on the same shoot -- with irregular light to dark green centres that merge distinctly or smudgingly into unevenly-toned yellow to yellowish-green margins. Some shoots observed to produce completely green leaves, an indication that the chimeric variegation of this cultivar is not stable. Leaves characteristically cordate in shape, with undulating edges and very slight drip-tip. Species form grown in sub-tropical regions loses its leaves upon onset of winter and sprouts new foliage ones during spring. Local specimens of this cultivar have not been observed to exhibit leaf-shed, but are expected to be irregularly semi-deciduous. |
| 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 very tiny male, gall (sterile) and female flowers produced on the inner wall of separate synconium receptacles on the same tree. "Figging" has yet to be observed for this cultivar 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. For a more aesthetic appearance, remove totally green shoots whenever these appear. Propagate by stem cuttng and air-layering. Note: All cut or bruised plant surfaces exude a milky sap, which is toxic upon ingestion and a possible skin irritant in susceptible individuals.. |
Landscaping Features
| Desirable Plant Features | Ornamental Foliage |
|---|---|
| Landscape Uses | Suitable for Bonsai, General, Shade Providing Tree / Palm, Focal Plant, Container Planting |
| Thematic Landscaping | Golden Garden, Naturalistic Garden |
| Usage Hazard - Cons | Irritant - Sap |
| Usage Hazard - Cons Remarks | Bruised plant surfaces exude milky white sap that is toxic if ingested, and may cause skin irritation in some individuals. |
Fauna, Pollination and Dispersal
| Pollination Method(s) | Biotic (Fauna) (Insects (Ant, Beetle, Fly, Thrip, Wasp)) |
|---|
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) | Green, Yellow / Golden |
| Mature Foliage Texture(s) | Smooth |
| Foliar Type | Simple / Unifoliate |
| Foliar Arrangement Along Stem | Alternate |
| Foliar Shape(s) | Non-Palm Foliage (Cordate) |
| Foliar Venation | Pinnate / Net |
| Foliar Margin | Entire - Wavy / Undulate |
| Foliar Apex - Tip | Cuspidate |
| Foliar Base | Truncate / Square |
| 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 |
|---|---|
| Bark Colour(s) | Greyish-brown |
| Mature Bark Texture | Cracked |
| 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 |
|---|
| 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 | 29167 |
|---|---|
| Species ID | 3476 |
| 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. |
.jpg)