Lowland Breadfruit Fig (Ficus brusii)

Web of Life, World of Plants

The lowland breadfruit fig (Ficus brusii) belongs to the diverse genus Ficus from the Mulberry family (Moraceae), which comprises over 900 species in the genus Ficus, out of a total 1318 species, including familiar fruits like mulberry (Morus spp.), jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), and breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis). The common fig, Ficus carica, is the most widely consumed and is native to the Mediterranean through central Asia and western Himalayas, but the genus shows its greatest diversity in Southeast Asia and Australasia. Species of Ficus occur in many forms, including large canopy trees, shrubs, climbers, vines, and epiphytes, and they play a crucial ecological role in tropical forests by providing habitats, food, and other resources for wildlife.

Ficus brusii is endemic to New Guinea, where it is typically found growing along streams and rivers in lowland rainforests within 900 metres above sea level and bears large leaves and big fruits up to 8.5cm in diameter. It was only recently described in 2019 and is a relative of Ficus dammaropsis – the highland breadfruit fig, a highland species occurring at greater elevations above 1200 metres that produces even larger fruits of up to 18cm in diameter – the largest fruit produced by a fig.

This species forms a small tree reaching up to approximately 13 metres in height. It is notable for its impressive foliage, with large, single leaves arranged spirally along the stems. The leaves may grow up to 80 cm long and 60 cm wide, giving the tree a bold and architectural appearance. When fully expanded, the leaf laminas are smooth and only weakly pleated, a feature that distinguishes it from its highland counterpart.

The fruits of Ficus brusii are particularly striking. Like all figs, what we call a “fruit” or “fig” is actually a syconium — a hollow, fleshy structure lined on the inside with numerous tiny flowers. These tiny flowers or florets are pollinated by a single species of female fig wasp (Ceratosolen abnormis) and develop into minute, hard-coated, single-seeded fruit which themselves look like seeds. The large, colourful syconia of Ficus brusii are densely covered in modified leaves called bracts, giving them the appearance of a giant flowers or cones. Ficus brusii, is distinguished from Ficus dammaropsis by its much smaller syconia bearing lateral bracts that are outward-bending (recurved), with sharply-pointed (acute) to long, tapering (acuminate) bract tips.

Ecologically, the lowland breadfruit fig supports a range of fruit-eating animals or frugivores that help disperse its seeds. While most of these animals bite into or remove figs from plants, some small birds and bats attracted to this species instead lap up the seed-filled gelatinous contents of mature syconia as they are extruded through the ostiole. This specialised feeding interaction highlights the important role of this fig species within lowland rainforest ecosystems. While the figs and seeds are not eaten, the people of New Guinea use their older leaves to wrap food for cooking and their young, tender leaves eaten as cooked greens.

Come check out this unique tree and its funky fruit at Web of Life planting among its other cousins in the Mulberry family, such as the small-fruited fig (Ficus microcarpa), breadnut (Artocarpus camansi) and terap (Artocarpus elasticus).

This article is part of our What's Blooming series.