86 Urticacece. {Fkus. 



diam., verruculose, umbilicus prominent, open; basal bracts o; 

 ped. ■^-\ in., pubescent, with a few minute bracteoles ; male 

 fl. close to the mouth of the gall-bearing recepts. ; sep. of 

 gall-fl. linear, fleshy, hairy ; ov. globose ; fert. fem. fl. in 

 separate recepts, ; sep. linear, hairy, style long. 



Low country to 3000 ft. ; very common. Fl. April. Fr. yellow. 



India, Burma, Andaman Is., Malaya, S. China. 



This is always, at first at all events, parasitic in Ceylon, but is 

 described as a tree by King. It is very variable in the foliage. F. para- 

 sitica is very much the oldest name. F. gibbosa is a larger- leaved variety 

 confined to Malaya. The specimens in Herb. Perad. are very poor, and 

 it is not stated whether they are from an old or young state of the plant. 

 The leaves are nearly smooth on both surfaces, as in King's F. gibbosa, 

 var. cuspidifera (Ann. p. 6), for which Ceylon is given as a habitat. 



2.* r. beng'halensis, L. Sp. PL 1059 (1753). Maha-nug"a, S. 

 Al, T. 



Moon, Cat. 74. Urostigma bengha/ettse, Gasp., Thw. Enum. 265. 

 C. P. 2225. 



Fl. B. Ind. v. 499. Wight, Ic. t. 1989 {U. benghalense). King, Fie. 

 tt. \2>, 81, f. C. 



A very large evergreen tree, 70-100 ft., with huge spreading 

 limbs that emit aerial roots, the latter forming accessory 

 trunks, extending the area occupied by the tree indefinitely; 

 branchlets stout, softly pubescent ; 1. 4-8 by 2-5 in., oval, 

 ovate or orbicular-ovate to oblong, coriaceous, obtuse or 

 obtusely cuspidate, quite entire, glabrous or pubcrulous be- 

 neath, base rounded subcordate or acute, basal veins strong, 

 lateral 7-8 pairs, finely reticulate beneath; petiole \-2 in.; 

 stip. |-i in., coriaceous ; recepts. in axillary pairs, sessile, 

 globose, about \ in, diam., pubcrulous ; basal bracts 3, orbi- 

 cular, spreading ; male fl, near the mouth of the recepts,, 

 monandrous ; sep. of male and gall fl. 4, broad ; fert. fem. fl. 

 .sep. shorter, style longer. 



Low country to 2000 ft., especially in the dry region, but always, 

 1 think, planted. Fl. December. Fr. dark red. 



The well-known 'Banyan' of Europeans, in which the tendency to 

 form aerial roots from the branches which become additional stems is 

 carried to its greatest extent. 



There are several fine specimens in Ceylon, as at Jaffna, Negombo, ^c, 

 and in Hook. Journ. Bot. iii. (1841) at t. 13 is a drawing by Major Forbes 

 of a tree near Matale; but it does not seem to be indigenous. It is said 

 to be native in the sub-Himalayan forests and the lower slopes of the 

 hills of S. India. 



3. r. mysoreusis, Hey?ic in Roth, Nov. Sp. 390 (1S21). Bu- 

 nugra, 5. 



F. cotonece/olia, Vahl. Moon, Cat. 74. Urostigma Jiiysorcnsc, Thw. 

 Enum. 265. King, Fie. 19. C. P. 2222. 



Fl. B. Ind. V. 500. King, Fie. tt. 14, 8r, f .\. 



