Ficus copiosa is a common small tree of secondary forest, forest edge and small islands which probably evolved in New Guinea and later spread west into the Pacific and east into Sulawesi and Borneo.
The photo above shows two distinctive features
(1) The leaf stalks (petioles) are long and straight and very variable in length.
(2) There are hairy bands of dark circular glands at both the top and bottom of the petiole whilst the center of the petiole is normally bare. This feature varies from leaf to leaf and plant to plant but when this feature is present it makes this fig very easy to distinguish.
Figs evolved west of Borneo in what are now the Himalayas and reached Borneo and New Guinea originally from the west.
However Ficus copiosa is a member of a group of figs including Ficus forstenii, Ficus lawesii, Ficus gul and Ficus septica which evolved on the islands east of Borneo including Sulawesi and New Guinea and have subsequently crossed back into Borneo across Wallace’s Line in reverse.
Important Note: Both the young leaves and the ripe female figs are edible by humans so it is entirely possible that the distribution of this fig as shown in the map below has been aided by humans.
