Florida strangler fig

Description

Ficus aurea is a tree which may reach heights of 30 m (98 ft).It is monoecious: each tree bears functional male and female flowers.The size and shape of the leaves is variable. Some plants have leaves that are usually less than 10 cm (4 in) long while others have leaves that are larger. The shape of the leaves and of the leaf base also varies-some plants have leaves that are oblong or elliptic with a wedge-shaped to rounded base, while others have heart-shaped or ovate leaves with cordate to rounded bases. F. aurea has paired figs. which are green when unripe, turning yellow as they ripen. They differ in size (0.6-0.8 cm [0.2-0.3 in], about 1 cm [0.4 in], or 1.0-1.2 cm [0.4-0.5 in] in diameter); figs are generally sessile, but in parts of northern Mesoamerica figs are borne on short stalks known as peduncles.