| Ficus watkinsiana | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Ficus watkinsiana onSyzygium hemilampra,Iluka, New South Wales, | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Moraceae |
| Genus: | Ficus |
| Species: | F. watkinsiana |
| Binomial name | |
| Ficus watkinsiana | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
Ficus watkinsiana, commonly known asstrangler fig,Watkins' fig,nipple fig or thegreen-leaved Moreton Bay fig is ahemiepiphyticfig that isendemic toAustralia. The species exists in three populations—one in northeastQueensland and the others in southeast Queensland and northeastNew South Wales.[1]It also has been introduced toKauai island (Hawaiʻi).[2]
The pollinator of this species in Australia isPleistodontes nigriventris (Girault).[2][3]On Kauai island,Port Jackson fig wasps (Pleistodontes imperialis) are able to do the job as substitute pollinators.[2] The wasps and the strangler figs have a mutualistic symbiotic relationship. The wasp,P. imperialis, uses the tree to lay eggs into its ostioles, while the tree uses the wasp for pollination. The arrangement of the inner ostioles show convergent evolution in attraction of the wasps. Other species of the strangler fig species have homoplasy of the ostioles, so the wasp is strongly influenced by this genus of plants, and therefore enhances their growth.[2]
Ficus watkinsiana is amonoecious tree which grows up to 50 m (160 ft) tall. Its leaves are 51–217 mm (2.0–8.5 in) long and 26–97 mm (1.0–3.8 in) wide. Its figs (syconia) are deep purple to black in colour, 24–37 mm (0.94–1.46 in) long and 18–29 mm (0.71–1.14 in) in diameter. It begins life as ahemiepiphyte.[1]F. watkinsiana grows on another tree, using it as physical support, while also stealing sunlight, nutrients, space, etc. from it, which eventually kills the host plant.F. watkinsiana produces a large amount of fruit, which feeds a variety of mammals. Those mammals eat their seeds, defecating them throughout the rainforests so thatFicus watkinsiana has a high rate of dispersal, covering almost every square meter of the rainforest.[4] The bigger the tree, the more surface area it has, the more dispersal it will have. Some host trees have developed possible defense mechanisms against the strangler figs. One mechanism may be lacking deep branches and hollows, and having smooth bark so there's no place for the seeds to become lodged and grow.
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