Ficus virens leaves at Segaliud Lokan Forest Reserve, Kinabatangan, Sabah. All photos by Shuai LIAO taken on 17 September 2019. Collection #20190465.
BLUE ARROW: The leaf stalk (petiole) is pale green with black stains and a pulvinus or swelling that acts as a hinge at the base of the leaf where it joins the twig.
ORANGE ARROW: Stubby conical brown “resting” stipule characteristic of both Ficus virens and Ficus caulocarpa in Borneo.
BLACK ARROW: Pulvinus (hinge) at the base of the leaf stalk
Ficus caulocarpa also photographed by Shuai LIAO on 18 September 2019 at Kg Sukau on the Kinabatangan. Collection #20190477.
STIPULE: Is similar to F. virens, short, conical and brown.
PULVINUS: Hinge is at the TOP of the leaf stalk NOT the BASE.
LEAF STALK: is uniformly red brown NOT pale green. This is the simplest and easiest way to distinguish Ficus virens from Ficus caulocarpa.
ORANGE ARROW: Ficus virens shows the conical brown “resting” stipule characteristic of both Ficus virens and Ficus caulocarpa in Section Urostigma. However these two species can be easily told apart because the leaf stalks are reddish brown in F. caulocarpa but pale green in Ficus virens.
