540 MONOECIA MONANDRIA. FicuS. 



Teling. Marie. 



Banyan tree. 



An account of this immense, and most beautiful tree, is to 

 be met with in almost every history of India. 



It grows wild about the skirts of the Circar mountains, but 

 in greatest perfection about, and in villages, where it is 

 planted for the sake of its extensively cool, grateful shade; 

 it is there the tree is found in its greatest perfection and 

 beauty. Flowering time the hot season. I know of no other 

 species of Ficus, which sends forth fibres from the branches, 

 that descend to the ground, and become trunks. 



Trunk; when young it is distinct, and single, at all times its 

 form, thickness, and height very variable ; still more so than 

 that of F. religiosa, because generally reared from branches 

 procured naked, and stuck in the ground. Branches spread- 

 ing to a great extent, dropping capillary roots here and 

 there, these enter the ground, as soon as they reach it, gradu- 

 ally becoming as large as, and similar to the parent trunk, by 

 which means the extent becomes almost incredible, the 

 height of the tree is at the same time slowly increasing, some 

 1 have seen fully five hundred yards in circumference round 

 the extremities of the branches, and about one hundred feet 

 high, the principal trunk of which might be more than twen- 

 ty-five feet to the branches, and eight or nine in diameter, 

 they are largest about the villages situate in fertile valleys 

 amongst the mountains. The bark is smooth and of a light 

 ash-colour. The wood light, white and porous. Leaves 

 alternate, about the extremities of the branchlets, petioled, 

 ovate-cordate, three-nerved, entire ; sometimes the border is 

 very slightly waved, when young very downy on both sides, 

 when old, less so, particularly above; from five to six inches 

 long, and from three to four broad, at the apex of the petiole 

 on the under side, is a broad, smootli, greasy looking gland. 

 Petioles a little compressed, from one to two inches long', 

 doAvny. Stipules within the leaves, sheathing, downy, fall- 

 ing, leaving their annular marks on the branchlets. Fruit 



