125. MORACE.E. [8. Ficus. 



The aerial roots of this species never develop into trunks. L. oblong-, ovate or 

 somewhat obovate, acute or obtuse, with a many-nerved base and 5-8 sec. n. above 

 the basal. Petiole 'o-i". Stipules 'D-l" (in .Tune). Recepts with 3 large orljicular 

 tomentose basal bracts reaching half way up the recept, apical bracts (closing the 

 mouth) minute, glabrous. Anther mutic'ous (it is apiculate in F. hengalensh). 



15. F, cuspidifera, Miq. Sjai. F. gibbosa, var. cuspidifera, F.B.I. 



Erect or climbing, epiphytic when young, Avith broAvn striate 

 branchlets, elliptic or ovate acute or acuminate leaves 2-5" by 1-25- 

 2-5", stiff, but neither pubescent nor very scabrid, base 3 -nerved. 

 Recepts 1-2 axillary, subglobose, '3" diam., minutely scabrid, umbonate 

 contracted into a stipes •2--25" long with 3 small connate bracts at 

 its base with spreading ovate free portions. 



Singbhum ! Santal Parg. ! Fr. Jan. 



Buds narrowly lanceolate "S-'-i". Leaf slightly scabrid on the nerves beneath 

 and sometimes with scattered minute tubercles beneath, margin slightly thickened, 

 base rounded or cuneate, lateral basal nerves extending about one-third length of 

 leaf or less, sec. n. i-G strong looping with several intermediate and many 

 reticulate rather prominent pale nervules. Petiole •2-"i". Tepals linear obtuse 

 or spathulate. shortly closely pubescent or papillose, less so in female, bases 

 attenuate and connate into a short stipes. Pistillode large and sometimes 

 apparently exactly like the gall-ovary. 



Both this and the next are united by King with F. gibbosa, Blume, probably 

 correctly, but I have found it more convenient to describe the two varieties 

 separately as species. Their general facies in the forest is different. F. 

 <;uspidifera is often erect with a trunk showing little or no signs of its having been 

 •epiphytic. 



16. F. parasitica, Koen. Sj-n. F. gibbosa, var. parasitica, F.B.I. ; 

 Kaskasi jhari. Or. 



A large epiphyte, with pale branches, rhomboid or subelliptic or 

 ovate-rhomboid, usually oblique leaves up to 8" by 4-5", very hispid 

 and somewhat shining above, pubescent and pale beneath, apex often 

 rounded, base 3-nerved. Recepts mostly paired axillary and from 

 leaf-scars, subglobose, •2--3" diam., umbonate, pubescent hirsute or 

 hispid, contracted into a stipes •2--3" long with 3 small connate 

 bracts at its base as in the last species. 



Common on trees, often in the open. Ranch! plateau, common! Singbhum, 

 mostly on the Porahat plateau ! Gaya ghats ! Hazaribagh (on rocks at Tati j haria) ! 

 Palamau, on the ghats ! Angul ! Fr. Feb.-Api'il. 



Buds narrowly lanceolate •2-*2o". Leaf scabrid beneath and less pubescent 

 between the nerves with age, margin thickened, base usually very oblique and 

 obtuse, venation much as in the last species but with more conspicuous loops to 

 the sec. n. and another prominent series of loops between these and the margin. 

 Petiole pubescent •3-*4", Male tl. sessile with 5-6 linear acute (not at all 

 gpathulate) minutely papillose or puberulous tepals considerably exceeding the 

 «hort stamen and ])istillode or gall-ovary. Filament about equal to anther. In 

 •this species I have in several flowers found the male pistillode quite like that of 

 the gall and occupied by an insect. 



Probably only one vai'iety, as F, cmpidifera is another, of F. gibbosa, Bhone, a 

 Javanese sijecies. This form {paralitica) always appears to be epiphytic and even 

 after the death of the host retains marked evidence of its previous habit. 

 F. gibbosa is described by Blume with oblong to oblong-lanceolate or lanceolate 

 leaves acuminate both ends and glabrous, scabrid on the margin, recepts 

 pendulous. 



17. F. heterophylla, L. f. 



An infinitely variable shrub creeping, erect or sarmentose among 

 bushes, twigs brown hairy hispid or %\ath dense spreading pubescence, 



5-i 835 



