Ficus celebensis is a species of flowering plant in the mulberry family, Moraceae. It is a fig tree endemic to the island of Sulawesi (formerly Celebes) in Indonesia, from which its specific epithet is derived.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Clade: Tracheophytes / Angiosperms / Eudicots / Rosids
- Order: Rosales
- Family: Moraceae
- Genus: Ficus
- Species: F. celebensis
- Authority: (Miq.) Miq. (Friedrich Miquel)
Description Ficus celebensis is a tree, typically growing in primary and secondary forests at low to medium elevations. Like other members of the genus, it possesses a syconium (fig) as its inflorescence, which is pollinated by a specific species of fig wasp (Agaonidae) in an obligate mutualism. Morphological characteristics, such as leaf shape, fig size, and indumentum (hair covering), distinguish it from other Sulawesian Ficus species, though detailed morphological descriptions are primarily found in regional taxonomic revisions (e.g., Flora Malesiana).
Distribution and Habitat The species is native and endemic to Sulawesi. It occurs in tropical rainforest habitats, often along rivers or in forest gaps.
Conservation Status As of the current knowledge cutoff, Ficus celebensis has not been assessed for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Endemic species on Sulawesi face general pressures from habitat loss due to agricultural expansion, logging, and mining, but specific population data for this species is limited.
Uses There is no widely documented commercial or significant ethnobotanical use specific to Ficus celebensis in major economic botany databases. Like many wild figs, it may serve as a keystone resource for frugivorous wildlife (birds, bats, primates) in its native ecosystem.
