AusBonsai

Hi fellow bonsai enthusiasts! Can anyone identify this ficus species? It has weeping leaves like a benjamina, but much smaller and very narrow (it is not a willow leaf). This ficus was collected from along the roadside, and there weren't any others like it in the area. I have tried searching the net, but that is like looking for a needle in a hay stack when you don't know the name.

Glenda

glenda, a close up of the leaf would be handy, it is most likelyt a native fig. possibly QLD small leaf? but it looks different to the QLD small leaf i have.


jamie

jamie111 wrote:glenda, a close up of the leaf would be handy, it is most likelyt a native fig. possibly QLD small leaf? but it looks different to the QLD small leaf i have.


jamie

Jamie, I'll see what I can do tomorrow.

Glenda

hi its a form of benji i think its a midnight beuty its a bit smaller then a standard benji darker leaves and can tollerate living indoors but with figs theirs so many croos breads as the birds spread the seeds all over and their constantly cross pollinaing

dayne wrote:hi its a form of benji i think its a midnight beuty its a bit smaller then a standard benji darker leaves and can tollerate living indoors but with figs theirs so many croos breads as the birds spread the seeds all over and their constantly cross pollinaing

Dayne, I have seen the midnight beauties at B***ings, and these leaves are still smaller and narrower than those. However, I will get some closeups. I also have a Baby Ben and the leaves on this don't resemble Baby Ben's either.

Glenda

figs are like that i have some qld small leaf with leaves that are 4'' long and the one next to it are 2'' long you cant really use size of leaf to id figs more colour shape and texture not saying im right but their tricky to id if yours are in the shade and this is in full sun it could be the difference of halving a leafs size good luck though may be a close up like jamie said

a close up will definately help, i have been coming back to this post several times, i dont think it is QLD small leaf, wrong shape.
it is possibly a hybrid benji.
it could also possibly be a variation of microcarpa?

need the close up!


jamie

Hi guys, here is a closeup of the leaves with some others for comparison. The one on the left is a standard benj, the second from left is a baby ben, the top right is a willow leaf, and the bottom right is the one in question. All taken from trees around the same age and height. As you can see the leaves are very tiny. They are possibly the smallest I have ever seen except for willow leaf. No defoliation of any of these trees has been done to date, so the size is as it grows.

Glenda

Just been going though Len Webber's book Rain Forest to Bonsai. It could be one of quite a few looking at pictures and reading descriptions.
Looking at one of the pictures noting where you live in Queensland also you dug it from the side of the road.
It is still an imature specimen, it could be Ficus superba var henneana ( deciduous or Ceder Fig ) this is not going to be easy as it was growing by the road. There are a lot of Ficus growing up there and a lot of Fauna that eat the fruit, and distribute it many miles from the parent plant, so we have a Ficus SPP.
Unless positive it is the best way I have found this with many Australian natives.

Cheers Pup

Pup,

I think those are wise words.

Glenda