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Ficus drupacea Thunb.

Family Name:	Moraceae
Common Name:	Brown Woolly Fig

Growing to 35 m tall, Ficus drupacea is a strangler fig tree with abundant free hanging aerial roots. Young shoots are densely covered with pale brown hairs. At maturity, the elliptical figs turn yellow to orange or dull red, and are subtended by persistent semicircular bracts.

Full Sun

Moderate Water

Bird-Attracting Plant

Epiphyte

Tree

Name

Family Name
Genus Epithet
Species Epithet
Name Authority
Common Names
Comments
Species Summary

Classifications and Characteristics

Plant Division	Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants)
Plant Growth Form	Tree, Epiphyte
Lifespan (in Singapore)	Perennial

Mode of Nutrition	Autotrophic
Maximum Height	35 m

Biogeography

Native Distribution	From Sri Lanka, India to Southeast Asia, New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Australia (Queensland).
Native Habitat	Terrestrial
Preferred Climate Zone	Tropical

Local Conservation Status

Non-native

Description and Ethnobotany

Growth Form	It is a strangler fig tree, up to 35 m tall with abundant free hanging aerial roots. When injured, the plant exudates white sticky latex.
Foliage	Spirally arranged to slightly planar (subdistichous), the leaves are elliptic to egg-shaped, about (7–) 10 – 20 (–35) cm long and (3–) 4 – 8 (–16) cm wide. They are dark green and leathery. The leaf tip is shortly pointed to rounded while the leaf base is heart-shaped to rounded. Each leaf has (6–) 8 – 12 (–14) pairs of lateral veins. The basal vein is up to 1/10 – 1/5 (–1/4) the length of the leaf blade. Waxy gland is observed at the base of the midrib. Young shoots are densely covered with pale brown hairs and becomes glabrous as they mature. Mature leaves may have brown hairs on the midvein on the upper surface or on the underside of the leaf blade. Mineral concretion (cystoliths) are found on both surfaces of the leaves. The leaf stalk (petiole) is about 1 – 4.5 cm long, while the stipules are about 1–1.5(–2) cm long and falls off early.
Fruit	The figs are sessile and occur at the leaf axils in clusters of 1 – 2. Each fig has 2 – 3 bracts at the base. These bracts are semicircular shaped (0.5 – 3 mm) and persistent. The fig is elliptical to oblong (about 1 – 2 (–2.5) cm diameter) and concave at the tip. At maturity, they turn yellow to orange or dull red. The ostiole is prominent (about 2 – 3 mm diameter) and often with a rim. The ostiole is closed by overlapping bracts where only the highly specialized pollinators can enter. The ovary is reddish.

Habitat	It is found in rainforest, up to 1000 m altitude.
Similar	Ficus drupacea is similar to F. bracteata and F consociata. F. drupacea has elliptical fig (1 – 2.5 cm diameter) with concave tip and small bracts (0.5 – 3 mm long) while F. bracteata has round figs (1.2 – 2.2 cm diameter) with concave tip and larger bracts (7 – 9 mm long). Likewise, F. consociata has round figs (0.8 – 1.2 cm diameter) with convex tip and larger bracts (4 – 8 mm long).
Associated Fauna	It is pollinated by fig wasps. Fruits are eaten and dispersed by birds and small mammals.
Etymology	Ficus, in Latin, refers to the commercial edible fig (Ficus carica). The specific epithet drupaceus, in Latin, means drupe-like, referring to the syconia (fig).
Ethnobotanical Uses	Cultural / Religious: Heritage Tree: There are 4 individuals of Ficus drupacea listed as Heritage Trees in Singapore. All can be found in Singapore Polytechnic. To find out more about these trees, please visit the Heritage Tree Register.

Fauna, Pollination and Dispersal

Fauna Pollination Dispersal Associated Fauna	Bird-Attracting
Pollination Method(s)	Biotic (Fauna)

Plant Care and Propagation

Light Preference	Full Sun
Water Preference	Moderate Water
Plant Growth Rate	Moderate

Rootzone Tolerance

Well-Drained Soils

Foliar

Mature Foliage Colour(s)	Green
Mature Foliage Texture(s)	Leathery

Fruit, Seed and Spore

Mature Fruit Colour(s)	Orange, Yellow / Golden

References

References	Berg, C.C., and Corner, E.J.H. (2005). Moraceae: Ficeae. In Nooteboom, H.P. (ed) Flora Malesiana, Ser. 1, Vol. 17 Part 2, pp. vi – 730. Leiden: Nationaal Herbarium Nederland. Berg, C.C., Pattharahirantricin, N., and Chantarasuwan, B. (2011). Moraceae. In Santisuk, T. & Larsen, K. (eds.) Flora of Thailand 10(4): 469-675. The Forest Herbarium, Royal Forest Department.

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Master ID	33724
Species ID	8138
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.