Checklist of Kenyan Ficus (Moraceae)

Thirty-seven Ficus species have been recorded from Kenya (Berg & Hijman, 1989), including two additional species added with the resurrection of species formerly synonymised under F. thonningii (Burrows & Burrows 2003) and the recently recorded Ficus usambarensis from near the Shimba Hills (Luke, 2005). Ten species are Distributionally restricted (endemic) to east Africa. Both Tanzania (43 species) and Uganda (46 species) have a higher fig tree species richness than Kenya (37 species). The higher Ugandan species richness is attributable to the presence of ten species that are typical elements of the Guinea-Congolian forest region and whose Distribution does not reach as far east as Kenya or Tanzania. Thirty fig species occur in all three countries, seven are shared between Tanzania and Kenya, six between Tanzania and Uganda and one between Uganda and Kenya (Berg & Hijman, 1989; van Noort & Compton 1999 and updated with change in status of the F. thonningii complex of species).

Genus: FICUS

• Subgenus: SYCIDIUM

  • Section: SYCIDIUM

    • F. capreifolia Delile

    • F. exasperata Vahl

    • F. asperifolia Miq.

• Subgenus: SYCOMORUS

  • Section: SYCOMORUS

    • Subsection: Sycomorus

      • F. sycomorus L.

      • F. sur Forsk.

      • F. vallis-choudae Delile

• Subgenus: UROSTIGMA

  • Section: UROSTIGMA

    • Subsection: UROSTIGMA

      • F. ingens (Miq.) Miq.

      • F. salicifolia Vahl

      • F. verruculosa Warb.

  • Section: GALOGLYCHIA

    • Subsection: GALOGLYCHIA

      • F. lutea Vahl

      • F. saussureana DC.

    • Subsection: PLATYPHYLLAE

      • F. bussei Mildbr.& Burret  

      • F. vasta Forsk.  

      • F. wakefieldii Hutch.         

      • F. glumosa Delile

      • F. stuhlmannii Warb.

      • F. nigropunctata Mildbr.& Burret

      • F. abutilifolia (Miq.) Miq.

      • F. populifolia Vahl  

    • Subsection: CHLAMYDODORAE

      • F. amadiensis De Wild

      • F. craterostoma Mildbr. & Burret

      • F. linqua depauperata (Sim) C.C. Berg

      • F. natalensis natalensis Hochst.

      • F. faulkneriana C.C. Berg

      • F. burkei (Miq.) Miq.

      • F. petersii Warb.

      • F. rokko Warb. & Schweinf.

    • Subsection: CRASSICOSTAE 

      • F. usambarensis Warb. 

    • Subsection: CYATHISTIPULAE

      • F. cyathistipula cyathistipula Warb.  

      • F. scassellatii scassellatii Pamp. 

        • F. scassellatii thikaensis C.C. Berg

    • Subsection: CAULOCARPAE

      • F. ottonifolia uluqurensis (Mildbr. & Burret) C.C. Berg 

      • F. tremula tremula Warb.

        • F. tremula acuta (De Wild.) C.C. Berg

      • F. polita polita Vahl

      • F. chirindensis C.C. Berg

      • F. sansibarica sansibarica Warb.

        • F. sansibarica macrosperma (Mildbr. & Burret)

      • F. bubu Warb.

      • F. ovata Vahl

References

Beentje, H.J. 1994. Kenya Trees, Shrubs and Lianas. National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi.

Berg, C.C. & Hijman, M.E.E. 1989. Chapter 11. Ficus. Flora of Tropical East Africa (ed. R.M. Polhill). 43-86. A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam.

Luke, Q. 2005. Annotated checklist of the plants of the Shimba Hills, Kwale District, Kenya. Journal of East African Natural History 94: 5–120.

van Noort, S. & Compton, S.G. 1999. Fig wasps (Agaonidae, Hymenoptera) and fig trees (Moraceae) of Mkomazi. In Coe, M. J., McWilliam, N. C., Stone, G. N. & Packer, M. (eds). Chapter 18: 299-320. Mkomazi: the ecology, biodiversity and conservation of a Tanzanian Savanna. Royal Geographical Society (with The Institute of British Geographers), London.