1. New Albums and some changes
The latest Albums on genera of South African plants added to the Operation Wildflower Site are the ones on Cyrtanthus, Dicoma and Strumaria. This means that photos and stories of plants belonging to these genera already on the Site, together with some new ones, have been moved from the more general Albums called Bulbs and Herbs respectively into their own new Albums under Genera.
There is a genus Album in every case where enough material has been accumulated to warrant a stand-alone grouping of photos and stories. There are now more than 220 such genera Albums. The biggest ones (most photos) belong to the genera Crassula, Euphorbia, Pelargonium, Aloe and Erica. Keep watching, more will be added. If there is no genus Album yet on the plant you are looking for, check under Types, the grouping that the Site was started off with, accessible via the pictured items shown on the right. The Search Box may yield more, for plants and related material are also shown in Albums on Habitat, Regions and Parks and Gardens.
In order to access items on a plant of interest, enter its botanical name in the Search Box. Entering other words or names will access what is contained in the Albums database. The latest Regions Album is the one on Nature's Valley and the latest Parks and Gardens Album is on Tietiesbaai also known as the Cape Columbine Nature Reserve.
2. Want to talk about a plant or an Album item?
There is a new way of communicating with the Editor of this Site regarding any of the Album Items.
Comments, questions, corrections, information and suggestions can be put to the Editor by using the following email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Please ensure that the Album Item concerned is clearly identified. Type its exact title as well as the Album Name in the Subject Line of your email. Please also state your name.
Similarly, communication regarding the functioning or technical aspects of the Site can be directed to the Webmaster at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
3. Reduced Mobile Site for Cell Phone Users
Operation Wildflower now also offers a reduced Mobile Site for cell phone use that only presents the Albums contents. This is aimed at overcoming display difficulties on some of the mobile devices in use for quick reference. The reduction found in the Mobile Site doesn't affect the full set of photos and stories of Operation Wildflower, only in diminishing the Site's secondary details that may make it hard to access the items on a small screen.
It is best to use the normal or full Operation Wildflower Site on computers, iPads and devices with bigger screens, as well as those that present unimpaired display of full details and access to all material on offer.
Should viewing difficulties be experienced on your device, click here to access the Mobile Site.
4. Subject Index
A Subject Index of a selection of topics touched on in Album Item text has been started, other than plant species. Access it via Information.
The Album Item Title should be clicked upon to open the Item dealing with the Topic.
Check in the Search Box for yet more subjects not added to the Subject Index list yet.
Botanical name |
Ficus ingens |
Other names |
Red-leaved rock fig; rooiblaarrotsvy (Afrikaans); motlhatsa (Tswana) |
Family |
Moraceae |
Dimensions |
Variable in form and size, semi-deciduous, from a shrub in cold winter parts of its distribution range to a medium sized tree of up to 13 m in height; very large specimens do occur, like the legendary inhabited tree (17 huts in one tree above 'the lions' reach' level) described by Robert Moffatt of Kuruman from a trip in 1829 |
Description of stem |
Multi-branched, broad and convoluted trunks twining at its bulky base, light grey, smooth bark, the base usually hugging a rock; spreading and curving branches; if allowed by other vegetation to grow freely develops a rounded crown, but usually straggling among other bushes and trees |
Description of leaves |
Ovate or lanceolate, green with entire margin, apex tapering, base lobed, sometimes square, variable size around 12 cm by 5 cm; petiole 2 cm; distinctive and pronounced netveining; new leaves sprouting shortly after old leaves are lost, which happens rather briskly within a week or two; new leaves pink, coppery or bronze-red for about a week, living up to the common name before gradually turning green; leaves said to be toxic |
Description of flowers |
|
Desciption of seed/fruit |
Pale yellow-green round figs of slightly more than 1 cm in diameter on stalks in leaf axils in profusion; turn purple or brown-red when they ripen over a prolonged season from winter and at least throughout summer |
Description of roots |
Massive rock-splitting root system that is known to reach water sources some distance from the tree |
Variation |
Depending on the climate as it is sometimes reduced by winter cold; some leaf form variations |
Propagation and cultivation |
Grown from cuttings, truncheons or seed |
Tolerances |
Mildly frost resistant apart from very young plants |
Uses |
Good for big gardens, keep far away from buildings as it is an accomplished rocksplitter, thus be careful of it as a foundation destroyer; good as a container plant or bonsai; figs edible, but not palatable; the bark has been used to treat cows with poor milk production |
Ecological rarity |
Not threatened |
Pests and diseases |
|
Other |
All parts exude a milky latex when broken; the latex or the leaves are said to cause illness in livestock that may browse it in times of drought; the figs are barely edible for humans but highly popular with many bird species; every indigenous ficus species is pollinated by 'its own' species of wasp in a mutually dependent symbiotic relationship; in the case of F. ingens the pollinator wasp is Platyscapa soraria,that has co-evolved with the tree,whilst Otitesella longicauda also use it; the male wasps apparently fight hard for mating opportunities with available females (www.figweb.org); there are big F. ingens trees at the entrance of Makapansgat |
Location |
Rocky outcrops, north facing cliffs in cold winter areas, bushveld, riverine and mountainous areas |
Distribution (SA provinces) |
Eastern Cape; Kwazulu-Natal; Mpumalanga; Limpopo; Gauteng; North West |
Country |
South Africa; Lesotho; Mozambique; Botswana; Namibia; Zimbabwe; Zambia; Malawi and north up to Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and Algeria; in West Africa across Cameroun, Nigeria, Ghana to Senegal |
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Info: www.plantzafrica.com |