Willow Leaf Fig Nomenclature

摘要

Most of you know by now that the current accepted botanical name for willow leaf fig is Ficus salicaria.For those who are unfamiliar with its history, the original tree arrived in Florida with a big shipment about 60 years ago. By the time everyone realized this was a new unknown species, nobody could remember where it came from. Florida landscapers seizedon it because it is a well-behaved moderate size tree or shrub, unlike the well-known Ficus benjamina, elasfica, and microcarpa, which grow into very large specimens, ripping up sidewalks and clogging drains. It soon entered the bonsai trade and eventually spread far and wide.In an effort to call it something, growers tacked on the names of similar species, such as Ficus neriifolia and salici-folia. 50 years later, it came to the attention of Prof. C.C. Berg, the Chief Authority of Ficus taxonomy. In 2004, he published the name of the new species as Ficus salicaria, which means willow-like.