The present taxonomic revision of Ficus subsection Urostigma recognizes 27 species, of which three are new: F. chiangraiensis, F. middletonii, F. pseudoconcinna. Two new varieties are distinguished within F. virens, var. dispersa and var. matthewii. Ficus lecardii and L. salicifolia, formerly subspecies of F. cordata, are again reinstated to the species level. Typical characters for the subsection are monoecy, monostaminate flowers, red(-brown) colored ovaries and cystoliths on only the abaxial leaf surface. Ficus amplissima and F. rumphii (section Leucogyne) were formerly part of subsection Urostigma, and they have been added here to the key and descriptions because of their morphological resemblance with the species in F. subsection Urostigma. Molecular based phylogenetic analyses showed that at least F. rumphii is unrelated to subsection Urostigma. The two species only differ from subsect. Urostigma in their whitish ovaries and cystoliths at both sides of the leaf blade and they are pollinated by a different group of wasps, species of Eupristina subg. Parapristina.
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1 October 2013
A Revision of Ficus Subsection Urostigma (Moraceae)
Bhanumas Chantarasuwan,
Cornelis C. Berg,
Peter C. van Welzen
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Systematic Botany
Vol. 38 • No. 3
July 2013
Vol. 38 • No. 3
July 2013
monoecy
morphology
section Leucogyne