Ficus
The seedlings of the three species of figs that grow on our site are very small indeed. On the right is a ballpoint pen pointing at seedlings of the rusty-backed Ficus rubiginosa which seems to mostly grow on rocks in this district and only rarely on trees.
The seedlings of F. obliqua (small-leafed fig) closely resemble those of the rusty-backed fig. As the plants grow, however, the underside of the rusty-backed fig acquires the fine hairs that give it its name.
Here, on the right, is a seedling of the small-leafed fig growing in a Maiden's wattle. If it survives, the fig will eventually throttle the wattle by encircling it with its roots. The roots fuse to form a tubular trunk around the host tree, which then dies and rots.
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The third species is the sandpaper fig, F. coronata, shown on the left. It can be distinguished from the other two as soon as its true leaves are formed. They have stiff hairs on the leaves which give them their sandpapery feel.
