Ficus (?) ID...

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Ficus (?) ID...

Post by Qitianlong »

Hey all,
any ideas? It doesn't have the milky sap I'm used to with my other ficus, plus it has almost a citrus smell when the leaf is crushed.
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Last edited by Qitianlong on March 2nd, 2017, 7:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Ficus (?) ID...

Post by Max »

Backhousia citriodora?
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Re: Ficus (?) ID...

Post by shibui »

Probably not a fig. No milky sap is one indicator. Another is terminal buds enclosed in a sheath - I can't see the ends of the shoots clearly but I can't see any sheaths.

Description of Backhousia has leaves with slightly toothed margins and reddish new growth. Also opposite leaves so probably not that one.
With citrus smell in the leaves maybe it is a citrus of some sort? bark looks right, leaves are the correct shape as well.
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Re: Ficus (?) ID...

Post by Max »

my bad shibui
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Re: Ficus (?) ID...

Post by Qitianlong »

Thanks guys, will keep investigating...
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Re: Ficus (?) ID...

Post by Qitianlong »

edit... the smell of the crushed leaf is more like passion fruit skin or cucumber...
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Re: Ficus (?) ID...

Post by Qitianlong »

My latest guess is Ficus virens var. sublanceolata... it's just the sap that's an issue...
The leaves are ovate simple leaves, with cuneate base and acute/acuminate apex, alternate leaves and pinnate vein arrangement.
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Re: Ficus (?) ID...

Post by dansai »

That's was going to be my suggestion but went down to my nursery to crunch the leaves and check out the veins and got distracted.

A couple of questions to confirm id. Does it have stipules (it's a bit hard to tell from the pictures)?
Does it drop leaves through winter and then drop what ever is left as the new leaves start to grow in spring?
Does the new leaves in spring come out with a reddish tinge?

If the answer to all these are yes, then you have a positive id.

If there are no stipules then it is not a fig
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Re: Ficus (?) ID...

Post by Qitianlong »

Ok, finally got a positive ID from a rain forest botanist!

It's a Celtis Paniculata (native celtis, silky celtis, native hackberry)
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