82 DR. G. KING ON THE GENUS FICUS. 
on tubercles (i. e. shortened leafless branchlets) from the larger 
branches or from the stem: while in one set of species (Covellia) 
the receptacles are borne on long, subaphyllous branches, which, 
proceeding from the stem near its base, either trail along the 
surface of the ground or bury themselves in the soil. In one 
very remarkable species (F. Minahasse) the receptacles are col- 
lected in dense capitula, which in turn are arranged in long 
leafless branches which droop towards, but hardly reach, the 
ground. In a few species (e. g. F. hispida) receptacles occur 
both in the axils of the leaves and on stem-tubercles. In size, 
as in colour, the receptacle varies much, and excellent specific 
characters are derived from these differences. 
The flowers, which are mostly unisexual, are situated on the 
inner walls of the receptacle; they may be either sessile or 
pedicellate. In sume species they are separated from each other 
by scales or bracteoles, and in others by hairs, both of which 
appendages appear to be analogous to the palee that are found 
on the receptacles of many Composite. In other species the 
flowers lie close together, unseparated by any intervening 
appendages. Five kinds of flowers are found in the genus, viz. 
male, pseudo-hermaphrodite, neuter, fertile female, and gall 
flowers. The structure of each of these is very simple. The 
male flowers consist of a perianth of from 8 to 5 pieces, which» 
although sometimes united, are usually free. The perianth 
sometimes hardly covers the stamen or stamens; in other cases 
it is large, inflated, and completely envelops the stamen. In 
some species the pieces of the perianth are thin and colourless 
and not unfrequently hyaline; in others they are of a red or 
dark-brown colour and opaque. In quite half the Indo-Malayan 
species there is only a single stamen; in very many there are 
only two; while in only a few are there so many as three. In 
shape the anthers are for the most part ovate or elliptic, although 
some are very broad and almost rotund ; they are always 2-celled 
and have sutural dehiscence. Some are sessile or nearly so, and 
in very few is the filament long. The attachment of the anther 
to the filament is innate in most species; in a few, however, it is 
adnate. In the species with two stamens the filaments are often 
united for the whole or part of their length, leaving the anthers, 
however, free. 
Pseudo-hermaphrodite flowers occur in only a few species. 
Such flowers have a perianth like the ordinary male flower, but 
