Ficus L.
Genus composed of about 840 species distributed mainly across tropical and subtropical areas of the world. In North Africa it is represented by an increasing number of species as it advances from the Mediterranean to the Equator. F. carica grows in the Mediterranean area. The rest of the species are Saharo-palaeotropical, such as F. ingens and F. salicilifolia, that reach N along the mountains of the central Sahara. F. abutilifolia, F. cordata, F. palmata and F. sycomorus are frequent in the southern Sahara and reach to the N, through Sudan, up to Egypt.
Beentje, H.J. 1994. Kenya trees, shrubs and lianas. National Museums of Kenya. Nairobi. Kenya.
Zohary, M. 1966. Flora Palaestina. Vol. I. The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.
Greimomg. K.V. 1990. A synopsis of the genus Ficus (Moraceae) in sourthern Africa. S. S. Afr. J. Bot., 56(69): 599-630,
JSTOR Global Plant. URL: http://plants.jstor.org/ [Fecha de consulta: 21/9/2017].
Key to species
1 Infructescences (syconia or figs) grouped in racemes on the trunk and branches of the previous year. Leaves papery, entire Ficus sycomorus
1 Solitary syconia or only a few on branches of the previous year. Leaves not papery, entire, lobed or dentate 2
2 Leaves deciduous 3
2 Leaves perennial 4
3 Leaves from lobed to palmatilobulate. Syconia more than 5 cm in diameter Ficus carica
3 Leaves broadly ovate, crenate-dentate or with 3 short lobes. Syconia 1-1.5 cm diameter Ficus palmata
4 Leaves lanceolate, up to 4 cm wide Ficus cordata subsp. salicilifolia
4 Leaves wider 5
5 Tertiary venation of the leaf not reticulated, young leaves red-copper in colour, syconia with 3 bracts very prominent in the ostiolar area Ficus ingens
5 Without all preceding characters at once 6
6 Leaves cordate, syconia 0.5-1.2 cm in diameter, leaves 2-14 cm long Ficus abutilifolia
6 Leaves rounded to subcordate, syconia 1.2-2.5 cm in diameter, leaves 9-30 cm long Ficus cordata subsp. lecardii
Updated by: F. Alcaraz & J. Charco.