DR. G. KING ON THE GENUS FICUS. 41 
The few species which form the section Synecia are climbers 
with remarkably large and handsome receptacles. The charac- 
teristic neuter flowers in all respects resemble the male flowers, 
except that they have no anther. In one species (F. apiocarpa) 
the neuter flowers are absent. The affinities of that species are, 
however, so clearly with the others in the section Synecia, that 
I include it without hesitation, believing it to form a connecting 
link with the more markedly dicecious sections. The name 
Synecia is adopted from Miquel, and the characters of his sub- 
genus of that name are nearly those of this section. The section 
Sycidium comprehends a number of species with comparatively 
small receptacles and rather harsh or scabrid leaves; it forms on 
the whole a pretty natural section. At the end of it I would 
put, as a matter of convenience, a few species which belong to 
different types from the main body. The species brought to- 
gether in my Sycidiwm are for the most part the same as those 
which Miquel (who made it a section of his Eusyce) included in 
his Sycidium.  Covellia is a natural section, including two 
types—one with a tendency to axillary, the other with a tendency 
to hypogeal inflorescence. The name Covellia was originally 
given by Gasparrini as a generic one to a species of the former 
type. Eusyce is the most artificial of the sections, and the one 
with which I am the least satisfied; the name was originally 
given to characterize a subgenus which Miquel founded on 
rather vague characters. There are several types under the 
section which, by further study, may be satisfactorily separated 
into distinct sections. Neomorphe is a small and natural section, 
consisting of species with large receptacles borne on the stem 
or larger branches. It includes plants which would have gone 
into Gasparrini’s genera Sycomorus and Cystogyne. In it 
there is included one species (F. glomerata) which, although its 
affinities are clearly with the other species included in this 
section, has moneecious receptacles, as in Urostigma. 
To complete this brief account of the morphology of the genus 
it is necessary to refer to the remaining organs. The leaves of 
Ficus are for the most part alternate ; but in a few species they 
are opposite. They have a characteristic Sacies of which it is not 
easy to give an account in words, although it affords ready help 
both in the field and in the herbarium, when one has become 
familiar with it. Stipules are universally present, although in 
some cases they are very fugacious. There are three distinct 
