Moraceae
Ficus

Ficus vallis-choudae Delile

First published in Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot., sér. 2, 20: 94 (1843)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical Africa. It is a tree and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Moraceae, C.C. Berg (University of Bergen). Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1989

Morphology General Habit
Tree up to 15(–20) m. tall.
Morphology Twigs
Leafy twigs 2–10 mm. thick, glabrous, sparsely white appressed puberulous or sometimes white hirtellous to tomentose, with periderm flaking off when dry.
Morphology Leaves
Lamina coriaceous to subcoriaceous, ovate to cordiform or ± deltoid, 4–24(–44) × 3–24(–30) cm., apex acute to subobtuse or very shortly acuminate, base obtuse to truncate or cordate, margin coarsely and obtusely dentate to repand, sometimes subentire; upper surface smooth and glabrous or puberulous on the main veins, sometimes scabridulous and hirtellous to hispidulous, lower surface glabrous or puberulous, sometimes hirtellous to pubescent; lateral veins 5–8 pairs; petiole 2–11(– 13.5) cm. long, 1–3 mm. thick, glabrous, white appressed puberulous or sometimes white hirtellous to tomentose; periderm flaking off when dry; stipules 1–3 cm. long, in the lower part ciliolate, appressed puberulous or subsericeous, caducous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits Infructescences
Figs solitary in the leaf- axils or just below the leaves; peduncle 0.2–1.2 cm. long, 4–6 mm. thick; basal bracts ± 0.2 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle
Receptacle subglobose to obovoid, 3–6(–10) cm. in diameter when fresh, 1–5 cm. when dry, ± densely white to yellowish puberulous to hirtellous or tomentose, only tomentellous near the ostiole or glabrous, yellowish to orange at maturity with longitudinal orange to reddish stripes.
Habitat
Riverine, lakesides, ground-water forest; 450–1800 m.
Distribution
K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 U1 extending to Guinée and Mali, Ethiopia, N. Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe
[FTEA]

Moraceae, C. C. Berg. Flora Zambesiaca 9:6. 1991

Morphology General Habit
Tree up to 10(20) m. tall.
Morphology Twigs
Leafy twigs 2–10 mm. thick, glabrous or sparsely appressed puberulous, sometimes hirtellous or tomentose, indumentum white, periderm flaking off when dry.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf lamina ovate to cordiform or ± deltate, 4–24(36) x 3–24(30) cm., coriaceous to subcoriaceous, apex acute to subobtuse or very shortly acuminate, base obtuse to truncate or cordate, margin coarsely and obtusely dentate to repand, sometimes subentire; superior surface smooth and glabrous or puberulous on the main veins, sometimes scabridulous and hirtellous to pubescent; lateral veins 5–8 pairs; petiole 2–11(13.5) cm. long, 1–3 mm. thick, glabrous, appressed puberulous or sometimes hirtellous to tomentose, indumentum white, epidermis flaking off when dry; stipules 1–3 cm. long, ciliolate in the lower part, appressed puberulous or subsericeous, caducous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Figs solitary in the leaf axils or just below the leaves, occasionally on leafless branchlets up to 30 cm. long on the older wood; peduncle 2–12 mm. long, 4–6 mm. thick; basal bracts c. 2 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle
Receptacle subglobose to obovoid, c. 20 mm. in diam. when fresh, 15 mm. in diam. when dry, ± densely white to yellowish puberulous to hirtellous or tomentose, tomentellous near the ostiole, or glabrous; yellowish to orange at maturity with longitudinal orange to reddish stripes.
[FZ]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Moraceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:2. 1958

Morphology General Habit
A tree, to 60 ft. high
Morphology Bole
Short bole
Morphology General Crown
Spreading crown
Morphology General Indumentum
Branchlets and leaves nearly glabrous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Figs large, solitary
Ecology
Mostly by streams in the savannah regions.
[FWTA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0