84 



Urticacecr. 



{Fit us. 



(gall fl.;, crowded along with bracteoles on the inner walls of 

 a fleshy receptacle, the base of which is usually 3-bracteate, 

 and the mouth closed by imbricating bracts ; male fl. : — 

 perianth 2-6-fid or partite ; stam. i or 2, fil. erect ; fem. fl. : — 

 perianth of male or o ; ov. straight or oblique, style excentric, 

 stigma simple or 2-fid, ovule pendulous ; achenes minute, 

 crustaceous, endosperm scant}', embryo curved. — Sp. about 

 60 ; \ 12 \n Fl. B. Ind. 



In the Ceylon Fici the receptacles are androygnous, with the male fl. 

 nearest the mouth. The gall fl. are fem., but perfect no seed, the ov. 

 being occupied by the pupa of a hymenopterous insect ; they often 

 occupy with the male fl. one receptacle, the fem. another. 



The descriptions of the species here given closely follow those of 

 Dr. King in the Attnais of the Royal Boi. Gardens of Calcutta., and the 

 species follow in the sequence adopted in that work, which is their 

 natural classification. As, however, this classification is derived from 

 characters difficult to detect in Herbarium specimens, I have given an 

 artificial key to the species, and followed it by the definition of the 

 natural groups, according to which they are arranged. — J. D. H. 



Artifici.\l Grouping of the Ceylon Fici. 



Tall trees. 

 Veins of leaf more or less distant. 



Basal pair of veins very distinct from the others. 

 Recepts. sessile. 

 L. glabrous ...... 



L. hoary beneath ..... 



Recepts. peduncled (short in Artiottiafii). 

 L. broadly ovate-cordate, glabrous 

 L. oblong, scabrid ..... 



Basal pair of veins slender, short, not very 

 distinct from the others. 

 Recepts. sessile or subsessile. 



Recepts. oblong .... 



Recepts. globose or subglobose. 

 Basal bracts large connate below 

 Basal bracts free. 

 Recepts. clustered . 

 Recepts. in pairs. 

 L. coriaceous 

 L. membraneous . 

 Recepts. peduncled. 



Lateral veins 5-7 pairs . 



Lateral veins 9-15 pairs. 



Recepts. i in. diam. 



Recepts. \-h in. diam. 



Veins of leaf very many and close-set. 



Recepts. sessile. 



Recepts. i-| in 



Recepts. J-.', in 



Recepts. peduncled .... 



2. F. BENGHALENSIS. 

 4. F. TOMENTOSA. 



10. F. Arnottiana. 



17. F. ASPERRIMA. 



3. F. MYSORENSIS. 

 5. F. ALTISSIMA. 



12. F. TSIAKELA. 



13. F. TSIELA. 



14. F. INFECTORIA. 



9. F. NERVOSA. 



15. F. CALLOSA. 



I I F. MOONIANA. 



6. F. Trimeni. 



8. F. RETUSA. 



7. F. CAUDICUI.ATA. 



