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Home Home » GENERA D-F » Ficus » Ficus ingens evidence of a quest
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Ficus ingens evidence of a quest

Ficus ingens evidence of a quest
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  • Ficus glumosa stems
  • Ficus ilicina
  • Ficus ilicina leaves
  • Ficus ilicina near a stem-tip
  • Ficus ilicina rock-climbing
  • Ficus ingens
  • Ficus ingens art
  • Ficus ingens doing the twist and the bulge
  • Ficus ingens evidence of a quest
  • Ficus ingens fantasy world
  • Ficus ingens green leaves
  • Ficus ingens heralding spring
  • Ficus ingens roots on hard rock
  • Ficus ingens spring leaves
  • Ficus ingens using pluralis majestatis
  • Ficus lutea
  • Ficus natalensis

Image information

Description

The roots of Ficus ingens will spread across a solid rock surface as in the photo if they fail to find hair-crack opportunities for penetrating and eventually splitting the rock. Some roots have clearly had their way with this rock, while others meandered in the open for a long time, Odysseus-like, trying to find the way home.

These roots seem to have been going round and round, eventually morphing into stem-like appearance when giving up the prospect of below-ground living.

Several other South African Ficus species split rocks, notably F. abutilifolia and F. ilicina while others, including F. burtt-davyi and F. craterostoma strangle nearby trees by enveloping them in their branches like boa constrictors. Don't mess with a fig tree if you lack speed.

Both these processes represent slow-wrestling actions, the aggressive movements restricted to the growth rate of the plant parts involved. Still, the enormous forces exerted leave impressive results, the struggle for life being a selfish act, in trees conducted with neither malice nor concern for fellow beings (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Wikipedia; www.plantzafrica.com).

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Photographer
Ivan Latti
Author
Ivan Latti
 
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