|
The brown-woolly fig (Ficus drupacea) belongs to Moraceae (the Mulberry family). It is a tall evergreen tree that is native to Southeast Asia and Northeast Australia. This tree grows in beachfront to montane forests, and can reach heights of 10-30 m. It often begins life as an epiphyte, growing in the branch of another tree. It grows older it sends down aerial roots which, when they reach the ground quickly form roots and become more vigorous. Eventually the host dies, leaving this tree to carry on growing without competition. It is a strangler fig. The tree is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of fiber.
|