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Ficus fraseri, the
White Sandpaper Fig or
Shiny Sandpaper Fig, is one of several
figFicus is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes, and hemiepiphyte in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending into the semi-warm temperate zone. The Common Fig Ficus is a genus of...
species commonly known as
sandpaper figThe Sandpaper Figs are so named for their leaves, which are rough and sandpaper-like in texture. The common name may refer to a number of species:*Ficus coronata*Ficus coronulata*Ficus fraseri*Ficus opposita*Ficus scobina...
s. It is native to
New South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and
QueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
in
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and
New CaledoniaNew Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
. More ambiguous common names are
"figwood" and
"watery fig".
It grows as either a shrub or tree with height ranging from around 6 to 15 metres.
Its leaves are 6 to 14 cm long and 2.5 to 6.5 cm wide on
petiolesIn botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
that are 1 to 2 cm long. The rounded figs are 1 to 1.5 cm long and start out yellow in colour, maturing to orange-red between May and February in the species native range. They are edible, but insipid.
In Australia, the species occurs from
Tuggerah LakeTuggerah Lake is a large coastal saltwater lake on the Central Coast of New South Wales about north of Sydney. It is connected with the sea through a tidal channel at its southern end known as The Entrance. It is also connected with two smaller lakes, Budgewoi Lake and through that to Lake...
in New South Wales, northwards to the
Atherton TablelandThe Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. It is located west to south-south-west inland from Cairns, well into the tropics, but its elevated position provides a climate suitable for dairy farming. It has an area of around...
in Queensland.
The
grey-headed flying foxThe Grey-headed Flying-Fox, Pteropus poliocephalus, is a megabat native to Australia.Members of the genus Pteropus include the largest bats in the world. The Pteropus genus has currently about 57 recognised species....
feeds on the figs.
Although rarely seen in cultivation, it is a fast growing, ornamental species. It can be easily propagated from seed.