Pollination of Ficus elastica: India rubber re-establishes sexual reproduction in Singapore

Research at Singapore Botanic Gardens reveals that Ficus elastica, or India rubber, had been sexually reproducing for over a decade after losing its pollinator wasp species, Platyscapa clavigera, around 70 years prior. The study identified P. clavigera as the specific pollinator, previously documented in Bogor Botanical Gardens, where F. elastica also showed evidence of natural reproduction. Despite Singapore's diverse native fig flora, F. elastica had remained unpollinated since its introduction in the 19th century, highlighting the extraordinary specificity and evolutionary stability of this plant-wasp interaction.

Harrison, R. D., Chong, K. Y., Pham, N. M., Yee, A. T. K., Yeo, C. K., Tan, H. T. W., & Rasplus, J.-Y. (2017). Pollination of Ficus elastica: India rubber re-establishes sexual reproduction in Singapore. Scientific Reports, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-09873-z