Few trees could be more fascinating or important to humans and animals than the fig tree.
There are 850 species of trees, shrubs and vines collectively known as fig trees (Ficus) and they all belong to the family Moraceae. Most are found in India, Malaysia, Polynesia and New Guinea, but there are about 40 species native to Australia, the majority of which are found in Queensland, especially in the rain forests of the north east.
Ficus is a relatively ancient genus being at least 60 million years old and possibly as old as 80 million years.
The Common Fig (Ficus carica) has been widely cultivated from ancient times for its fruit. The fruit of most other species are also edible though they are usually of only local economic importance or eaten as bushfood. Depending on the species, each fruit can contain up to several hundred to several thousand seeds.
The fruits are extremely important food resources for wildlife.
Figs as a group are relatively easy to recognize. Many have aerial roots and a distinctive shape or habit, and their fruits distinguish them from other plants. However, there are three physical characteristics that together are unique to figs. All figs possess a white to yellowish latex, some in copious quantities; the twig has paired stipules or a circular stipule scar if the stipules have fallen off; and "tri-veined" leaves.
Probably the most fascinating characteristic of the fig is its unique pollination system. The tiny flowers of the fig are enclosed in an urn-like structure (sometimes called a syconium) and pollinated by tiny, highly specific wasps, known as fig wasps. Most of the complex life cycle of the wasps is completed inside the fruit.
The Oasis Valley of the Dubbo Regional Botanic Garden contains a number of fig species including Moreton Bay Fig (Ficus macrophylla), Small Fruited Fig (Ficus macrocarpa) and Small-Leaved Fig (Ficus obliqua).
By Ian McAlister & Karen Hagan