Ficus polita

Botanical Description

Ficus polita is an evergreen shrub or small tree usually growing up to 15 metres tall, but exceptionally to 40 metres[ 570 Title Adansonia Vol. 8. Publication Bulletin du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle Tome 8 Author Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle; Paris. Year 1986 ISBN Description Contains, amongst others, a treatment of the genus Ficus (Figs) in Madagascar and Mauritius. It can be downloadd from the Internet. ]. The dense crown can be flat or rounded, and can spread for up to 40 metres. The bole is generally short and stout. The plant often commences life as an epiphyte, growing in the branches of another tree[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. ]. It sends down aerial roots from its lower lateral branches which root when they touch the ground and become trunks[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. ]. The growth rate of the tree then accelerates due to the extra nutrition it receives, it sends down more aerial roots and also grows faster than the other tree eventually killing the tree it was growing in[ 328 Title African Flowering Plants Database Publication Author Website http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php Publisher Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques. Year 0 ISBN Description Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map. ]. The leaves are occasionally harvested from the wild for food. The tree is sometimes grown as a boundary marker or living hedge and is also planted for ornament and to provide shade[ 364 Title Field Guide to the Moist Forest Trees of Tanzania. Publication Author Lovett J.C.; Ruffo C.K.; Gereau R.E.; Taplin J.R.D Website http://www.york.ac.uk/res/celp/webpages/projects/ecology/tree%20guide/introduction.htm Publisher Frontier Year 0 ISBN 1-873070-33-0 Description A lovely little book giving a basic identification guide to more than 650 species of trees growing in Tanzania. It is also available to view on the internet. ].