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Key to Ficus

Moraceae

Ficus

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1 Vine, climbing by adventitious roots, appressed to walls or trailing; leaves dimorphic (small and distichous on climbing branches, larger on non-climbing branches); [subgenus Synoecia]
1 Shrub to tree, erect; leaves monomorphic.
  2 Leaves palmately lobed, (7-) 15-30 cm long; shrub to small tree, rarely > 5 m tall; [widespread in our area]; [subgenus Ficus, section Ficus]
  2 Leaves unlobed, 3-15 cm long; tree, to 30 m tall; [of peninsular FL].
    3 Leaf apex long caudate or acuminate, the tip ≥ ½ as long as the leaf blade
    3 Leaf blade obtuse to short acuminate (if acuminate the tip < ¼ as long as the leaf blade).
      4 Leaves with many (>20) lateral veins, these spaced 1-3 mm apart.
        5 Leaves 4-6 (-11) cm long, pliable when fresh
        5 Leaves 9-30 cm long, very thick and leathery; [subgenus Urostigma, section Conosycea]
      4 Leaves with < 15 lateral veins, these all or mostly spaced > 4 mm apart.
          6 Peduncles 5-15 mm long; figs 8-18 mm in diameter, yellow or black when ripe; leaves subcordate to rounded at the base; [subgenus Urostigma, section Americanae]
          6 Peduncles < 5 mm long; figs 5-15 mm in diameter, yellow, orange, red, purple or black when ripe; leaves rounded to cuneate at the base.
             7 Leaves 4-6 (-11) cm long; figs 5-6 mm in diameter, purple or black when ripe; [subgenus Urostigma, section Conosycea]
             7 Leaves 6-12 (-15) cm long; figs 6-15 mm in diameter, yellow or orange when ripe; [subgenus Urostigma, section Americanae] .
               8 Basal pair of secondary veins borne at a narrower (more acute) angle to the midvein than the other secondary veins, extending 1/3rd or more the length of the blade
               8 Basal pair of veins borne at a similar angle to the midvein as the other secondary veins, extending 1/8th or less the length of the blade

Key G3: lianas with alternate, simple, and unlobed leaves

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1 Leaves serrate.
  2 Leaf venation palmate, the leaf often lobed or at least pentagonal in shape (as well as serrate); plants climbing by leaf-opposed tendrils
  2 Leaf venation pinnate, the leaf neither lobed nor pentagonal; plants climbing by other mechanisms (see below).
    3 Plants climbing by adventitious roots, by twining, or by growing through bark layers of Taxodium ascendens or Chamaecyparis thyoides; [collectively widespread in our region].
      4 Plants climbing by adventitious roots; leaf base cordate or subcordate, and also slightly to strongly oblique
      4 Plants climbing by twining, or by growing through bark layers of Taxodium ascendens or Chamaecyparis thyoides; leaf base cuneate, rounded, or cordate.
        5 Leaves strongly cordate at the base, 7-15 cm wide
        5 Leaves cuneate, rounded, or subcordate at the base, 0.3-8 cm wide.
          6 Leaf blades mostly 2-6 cm long, 0.3-2 cm wide; plants climbing by growing through bark layers of Taxodium ascendens or Chamaecyparis thyoides
          6 Leaf blades mostly 6-13 cm long, 3-8 cm wide; plants climbing by twining
1 Leaves entire.
             7 Stems with well-developed prickles; tendrils paired, stipular (diverging from the leaf petiole above its base); [Monocots]
             7 Stems lacking prickles; tendrils either absent or (if present) not stipular and paired; [Eudicots or Basal Angiosperms].
                   10 Leaves elliptic or ovate, obviously longer than broad, most leaves > 1.4× as long as wide; leaf blade base narrowly cuneate, broadly cuneate, rounded, or subcordate.
                     11 Leaves 3-8 cm long, rounded to broadly cuneate at the base and rounded or obtuse at the apex; lateral leaf veins straight, parallel, not forking; inflorescence a terminal thyrse or panicle
                     11 Leaves 6-15 cm long, cuneate at the base and acuminate at the apex; lateral leaf veins forking at or beyond the middle; inflorescence a solitary, axillary flower
                   10 Leaves orbicular to very widely ovate or reniform, most leaves < 1.4× as long as wide; leaf blade base deeply cordate, subcordate, rounded, or broadly cuneate
                       12 Flowers fetid, showy and 4-merous; plants often with conspicuously large rootstocks apparent at ground level
                       12 Flowers scentless or only mildly fetid, either not showy (Menispermaceae) or modified into a tube-like structure with an often elaborate petaloid perianth (Aristolochiaceae); plants lacking a large, conspicuous rootstock
                          13 Leaf venation pinnate, but “pseudopalmate”, with 3 primary veins from the marginal point of attachment of the petiole, the 2 lateral veins then promptly rebranching (< 1 cm from the leaf base) into 2-3 prominent veins (the remainder of the venation pinnate along the midvein); basalmost pair of primary veins exposed (lacking leaf tissue) on their basal side for > 2 mm; leaf blade base deeply cordate; leaf with no tendency to lobing, the leaf outline convex from the base to the apex (except in the immediate vicinity of the petiole and sometimes immediately near a slightly acuminate apex
                          13 Leaf venation palmate, with (3-) 5-9 primary veins from the marginal or peltate point of attachment of the petiole, these primary veins then rebranching well above the leaf base; basalmost pair of primary veins completely included within leaf tissue; leaf blade base cordate, subcordate, rounded, or broadly cuneate; leaf with a tendency to lobing, the leaf outline with 1 or more concave areas between the base and the apex (except Cissampelos of s. FL)