Ficus superba,Miquel FAW (1866) Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugduno-Batavi 2: 200. also known as sea fig or deciduous fig, is a hemiepiphytic tree of genus Ficus. It is a tree native to Indochina (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam), southern India, and parts of Malesia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, the Lesser Sunda Islands, Sulawesi, and the Maluku Islands including Seram). It is one of the species known as banyans or "strangler figs" because of its potential to grow as a hemi-epiphyte and eventually progress to the strangling habit of species in this subgenus. It is, however, not an obligate hemi-epiphyte and can be found growing as single stemmed trees in forests. According to E.J.H. Corner, if this fig germinates in a boulder field its roots can extend "extraordinary distances, up to several hundred feet" over and between the rocks.
Formerly recognized varieties Several varieties are now recognized as synonyms of other species: F. superba var. alongensis is a synonym of Ficus alongensis The Plant List (retrieved 17 January 2020) Ficus superba var. henneana is a synonym of Ficus henneana, native to northern and eastern Australia. F. superba var. japonica is a synonym of Ficus subpisocarpa The Plant List (retrieved 17 January 2020)
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