Ficus hookeriana Corner, Gard. Bull. Singapore 17: 378 1960. (syn: Ficus hookeri Miq.; Ficus nitida Hook. ex Miq.);
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China (Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan), Bhutan, NE-India, Nepal, Sikkim as per Catalogue of Life;
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S. India, Nepal to S. China: Assam, China South-Central, China Southeast, East Himalaya, India, Nepal as per POWO;
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Tree up to 20 m tall, Bark dark grayish brown. Leaves, broadly elliptic or sub-obovate coriaceous, base cuneate to rounded, margin entire, apex obtuse to mucronate, leaf lateral veins 6-8 on either side of midvein, reticulate near margins, petiole up to 5 cm long, stipules linear-lanceolate, flaccid, caduceus. Figs axillary on leafy branchlets, usually paired, ellipsoid to cylindric, apical pore convex, sessile, Male, gall, and female flowers within same receptacle. Male flowers scattered among other flowers calyx lobes or sepals 4, lanceolate, stamens 1, anther ellipsoid, rather short. Gall flowers similar to female flowers but style shorter and thicker. Female flowers calyx sepals 4 or 5, linear-lanceolate, style rather short, lateral, stigma 1. Syconus fruit.
Forests and cultivated near temples at an altitude around 2000 to 4000 ft.
Asia: Bhutan, China, India: Meghalaya, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Nepal.
(Attributions-Ganeshaiah, K. N., UAS, Bangalore, India. & Kailash, B. R., UAS & ATREE, Bangalore, India as per India Biodiversity Portal)
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Ficus tree from Chongey, East Sikkim : id needed pl
5 high resolution images.
The Ficus tree, like the Banyan, locals call this too as ‘Bar’.
This should be Ficus hookeriana Corner.
Similar to F. benghalensis but without aerial roots and fig with cup shaped connate basal bracts enclosing lower third of fig, in Nepali its called as Nebharo.
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References: POWO Catalogue of Life The Plant List Ver.1.1 GBIF (High resolution specimens) Flora of China FOC illustration Annotated checklist of Flowering plants of Nepal Flora of peninsular India India Biodiversity Portal IBIS Flora (FBI) Plant illustrations asianflora FPCN