Ficus ilicina leaves

Ficus ilicina, the laurel rock fig is a small tree ensconced among or even draped over rocks. The stem is white and flaking, starting off with a roundish caudex when young that is no longer evident in mature specimens, small trees of about 5 m.

The leaves are elliptic or ovate, dark green and leathery, hairless with a prominent yellow midrib. The leaf margins are entire, the apex rounded and the base tapering. Petioles are short and stout.

This species may be confused with a taller tree, F. cordata, found in a largely overlapping distribution. The latter species has two conspicuous lateral veins near the leaf base, lacking on the leaves in picture (Coates Palgrave, 2002; www.bihrmann.com).