ficus microcarpa

Ficus microcarpa Ficus microcarpa, also known as Chinese Banyan, Malayan Banyan, Indian Laurel or Curtain fig, is a native in the range from to , southern , the , the , , and . Taxonomy Hill's Weeping Fig is a form of Ficus microcarpa. It was first formally described as a species in its own right (Ficus hillii) by in the Botany Bulletin of the , based on the collected in the "scrubs of tropical '". In 1960, it was reassigned by British botanist as a variety of F. microcarpa, namely F. microcarpa var. hillii. In the 2005 it was treated as a synonym of F. microcarpa. Distribution and habitat F. microcarpa was widely distributed as an ornamental plant and is one of the most common street trees in warm climates. The symbiotic pollinating , , was introduced along with F. microcarpa. Such an introduction, however, can be delayed: in - where specimens of the tree had been used in since the nineteenth century, when it was introduced by the French architect Auguste François Marie Glaziou into various public parks of - the appearance of saplings began only during the 1970s. Such saplings are considered to be very aggressive, as they can grow on the walls of buildings, bridges, highways, and other concrete structures. The tree is considered a major in , , , , and . Ecology In some parts of its introduced range, it is very attractive to avian wildlife: in , Brazil, ten species of birds were listed as feeding on its fruits, especially , , , and . Its fruit and leaves are also sought after and eaten by the parrot . Although invasive, its hardiness makes it an important species for the attraction of avian wildlife in urban environments