Ficus variegata (plant)
Ficus variegata is a well distributed species of tropical fig tree. It occurs in many parts of Asia, islands of the Pacific and as far south east as Australia. There is a large variety of local common names including common red stem fig, green fruited fig and variegated fig. A non strangling fig which may reach 30 metres in height. The tree is evergreen when young but becomes briefly deciduous as it grows older. In Australia the fruit are eaten by cassowaries and double-eyed fig parrots. "Ficus variegata" is dioecious, with male and female flowers produced  on separate individuals. Taxonomy. "Ficus variegata" has been described by Carl Ludwig Blume in 1825. In 1965, E. J. H. Corner updated the species by putting some other "Ficus" in synonymy with "F. variegata" varieties. Five were listed: "F. variegata" var. "variegata" distributed on all the species range, "F. variegata" var. "chlorocarpa" from South China, Hainan Island and Thailand, "F. variegata" var. "garciae" described as inhabitant of the Pacific Islands (Ryukyu islands, Taiwan and Philippines), "F. variegata" var. "ilangoides" in Luzon and northern Borneo, and "F. variegata" var. "sycomoroides" in the Philippines and Borneo. Recently, all the varieties have been  synonymized under "Ficus variegata". "Ficus variegata" belongs to the subgenus "Sycomorus" section "Sycomorus" subsection "Neomorphe". Ecology. "Ficus variegata" is pollinated by fig wasps from the genus "Ceratosolen" as are all the fig species from the subgenus "Sycomorus". The figs of "Ficus variegata" have been reported to be eaten by 41 animal species (5 birds, 15 bats, 7 monkeys, 7 marsupials):