64 The Philippine Journal of Science 1921 
SAMAR, Catubig River, Sablaya 10, March 13, 1916, in damp 
forests at low altitudes; collected for the Arnold Arboretum. 
This species is well characterized by its ample, harsh, inequi- 
lateral, alternate leaves and its cauline inflorescences. It dis- 
tinctly resembles Ficus heteropoda Miq., from which I am of the 
opinion that F’. decussata Warb. and F. anomala Merr. are 
not to be distinguished ; the present species is easily distinguished 
from Miquel’s by its alternate leaves which are further different 
in shape and have much shorter petioles. 
FICUS SPARSIFOLIA sp. nov. § Sycidium. 
Frutex erectus, ramis ramulisque teretibus, tenuibus, glabris; 
foliis alternis, utrinque scaberulis, lanceolatis ad oblongo-lance- 
olatis, firmiter chartaceis, usque ad 9 em longis, perspicue 
acuminatis, integris, vel obscure undulatis vel interdum basi 
unilateraliter hastatis, basi plerumque acutis, inaequilateralibus, 
nervis utrinque circiter 7 perspicuis, anastomosantibus; recep- 
taculis in axillis superioribus minute bibracteatis, solitariis, 
ovoideis, minutissime scaberulis, circiter 1.5 cm longis, peduncu- 
latis, osteoli bracteolis perspicuis, lanceolatis, acuminatis, erectis, 
2.5 ad 3 mm longis, ciliato-hispidis; perigonii laciniis pallidis, 
glabris, lanceolatis, acuminatis, 2.5 ad 3.5 mm longis. 
An erect, branched shrub, 1 m high or more, the branches and 
branchlets slender, terete, grayish or reddish-brown, glabrous, 
smooth. Leaves alternate, firmly chartaceous, pale-olivaceous, 
shining, scaberulous on both surfaces, lanceolate to oblong-lan- 
ceolate, 5 to 9 m long, 1 to 1.5 cm wide, prominently and slenderly 
acuminate, often caudate-acuminate, base usually slightly in- 
equilateral and acute, sometimes prominently hastate on one side 
and acute on the other, the margins entire or obscurely undulate; 
lateral nerves about 7 on each side of the midrib, prominent, 
curved, anastomosing, irregular, the primary reticulations dis- 
tinct ; petioles slender, minutely scabrid, about 5 mm long. Re- 
ceptacles in the uppermost axils, solitary, ovoid, green, about 1.5 
cm in diameter, minutely scabrid, the ostiole surrounded by 
numerous, erect, lanceolate, acuminate, 2.5 to 3 mm-long, ciliate- 
hispid bracteoles; peduncles slender, minutely scabrid, about 8 
mm long, with two or three small, scattered bracts. Staminate 
flowers few and only near the ostiole, monandrous, the perianth 
segments 4, membranaceous, pale, lanceolate, acuminate, 2 to 
2.5 mm long, glabrous; anthers 1 mm long. Gall flowers nu- 
merous, pedicellate, the pedicels 1.2 mm long, sparingly hispid; 
