Brown-Woolly Fig

Description:

A young immature fig plant with no fruits yet. Young leaves and stems are still hairy but will slowly lose these hairs as it grows. There are lots of tiny ants around the plant, feeding on the released sap to keep the ants around as anti-pest bodyguards for this plant.

Habitat:

This young fig plant is found growing in a native island graveyard. Turns out graveyards are a great place to look for figs due to the open area and traditional respect. Brown-Woolly Fig hairs are common coastal and island species in Sabah.

Notes:

Borneo has around 150 native fig species and I have documented one third of it with 1StopBorneo Wildlife expeditions.