Sungai Ara, Penang, Malaysia.
Ficus auriculata Lour. Moraceae. CN: [Malay - Kelebuk, Nangtan, Ara jambu], Elephant ear fig, Giant Indian fig. Native to China, Indian subcontinent: Bhutan, Indo-China, Malesia. Fruit as human food but rather unpalatable; ornamental. Tree can grow up to ca 3-5 m tall with the branches are borne low at the base of the trunk. The leaves are large, thin, ovate-rounded with a broad base, about 30 cm in length and width, slightly toothed at the margin, and hairy underneath. The young leaves are starting intensely red, and turn more and more green when reaching their ultimate size of up to 0.75 m in length. Each fig is a rounded structure resembling a single typical fruit, but is a hollowed structure that bears numerous tiny flowers (or fruits) all over the inner surface. Plant a gynodioecious - the flowers are either male and gall within the same fig (on gall trees), or female (seed trees). Both male and female flowers do not occur on the same tree. The figs are reddish-brown, and about 5 to 9 cm wide. When they ripe, they will turn red-purplish and become fragrant.Synonym(s):
Covellia macrophylla Miq.
Ficus hainanensis Merr. & Chun
Ficus hamiltoniana Wall. [Invalid]
Ficus macrocarpa H.Lv. & Vaniot [Illegitimate]
Ficus macrophylla Roxb. & Buch.-Ham. ex Sm. [Illegitimate]
Ficus oligodon Miq.
Ficus pomifera Wall. ex King
Ficus regia Miq.
Ficus rotundifolia Roxb.
Ficus roxburghii Steud.
Ficus sclerocarpa Griff.
Ficus scleroptera Griff. [Illegitimate]Ref and suggested reading:FRIM Flora DatabaseKamus Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Malaysia
www.theplantlist.org/tpl/record/kew-2809581www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?17025www.med-plants.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=...
