Ficus lutea Vahl

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Canda, lower slopes Mt Gorongosa

Photo: Bart Wursten
Nhancuco, lower slopes Mt Gorongosa

Photo: Bart Wursten
Morumbodzi River crossing, road to waterfalls, lower slopes Mt Gorongosa

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Synonyms:	Ficus subcalcarata Warb. & Schweinf. Ficus utilis Sim Ficus vogelii (Miq.) Miq.
Common names:	Giant-leaved fig (English) Muwonde (Manica) Thowe (Manica)
Description:	Large, spreading, briefly deciduous tree, usually starting as a strangler but often freestanding when older. Leaves elliptic to obovate, 14-43 cm long, thickly leathery, glossy green and hairless above, paler beneath with a few hairs on midrib and veins; veins often conspicuously yellow; base mostly rounded; margin entire, flat or slightly rolled under; petiole 3-13 cm long, silky hairy when young. Fruits sessile, usually in pairs in the leaf axils or on the old wood below the leaves, subglobose, 15-30 mm in diameter, densely hairy when young, yellow, reddish or brownish when ripe.
Notes:	Although indigenous in Mozambique, the species is probably best known from many majestic specimens planted near houses in colonial times. Nowadays the ruins of many old colonial buildings have been overgrown by descendants of nearby old trees.
Derivation of specific name:	lutea: golden-yellow, reference unclear, perhaps referring to the bright yellow venation or the leaves turning yellow in deciduous situations.
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Widespread in tropical Africa, South Africa, Cape Verde Islands, Madagascar, Comores and Seychelles.
Growth form(s):	Tree.
Insects associated with this species:	Allotriozoon heterandromorphum (Pollinated by this insect)
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Image last updated:	Sunday 20 May 2012
Literature:	Berg, C.C. (1990). Annotated checklist of the Ficus species of the African floristic region, with special reference and a key to the taxa of Southern Africa. Kirkia 13(2) Pages 261 - 262. Berg, C.C. (1991). Moraceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(6) Pages 63 - 64. Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (2003). Figs of Southern and South-Central Africa Umdaus Press, South Africa Pages 97 - 100. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 83. (Includes a picture). Coates Palgrave, K. (revised and updated by Meg Coates Palgrave) (2002). Trees of Southern Africa 3rd edition. Struik, South Africa Page 144. Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 89. Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 234. As Ficus vogelii Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 63. Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 80. Schmidt, E., Lötter, M. & McCleland, W. (2002). Trees and shrubs of Mpumalanga and Kruger National Park Jacana, Johannesburg, South Africa Pages 78 - 80. (Includes a picture). Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 124. Van Wyk, B. & Van Wyk, P. (1997). Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa. Struik, South Africa Pages 76 - 77. (Includes a picture). White, F., Dowsett-Lemaire, F. & Chapman, J.D. (2001). Evergreen forest flora of Malawi Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Page 386.

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Flora of Burundi: Ficus lutea
Flora of Malawi: Ficus lutea
Flora of Mozambique: Ficus lutea
Flora of Zambia: Ficus lutea
Flora of Zimbabwe: Ficus lutea
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Ficus lutea

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Ficus lutea
African Plant Database: Ficus lutea
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Ficus lutea
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Ficus lutea
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iNaturalist: Ficus lutea
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Ficus lutea
JSTOR Plant Science: Ficus lutea
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Ficus lutea
Plants of the World Online: Ficus lutea
Tropicos: Ficus lutea
Wikipedia: Ficus lutea