About Ficus polita Vahl
Ficus polita Vahl is similar to Ficus bizanae, the Pondoland fig, an endemic tropical forest species native to South Africa. Its leaves have smooth, entire margins, are often heart-shaped, and end in an acuminate (pointed) tip. The figs of this species grow from old wood, forming small clusters on short, stumpy branchlets. Two different subspecies of pollinating wasp are associated with Ficus polita: Courtella bekiliensis bekiliensis (Risbec) pollinates it in Madagascar, while Courtella bekiliensis bispinosa (Wiebes) pollinates it on the African mainland. This tree occurs in lowland rainforest and gallery forest across west and central Africa, in coastal and dry forest along the east and southern African coast, and throughout Madagascar. It can grow at elevations up to 1,200 metres (3,900 ft).
