125. MORACEJE. [8. Ficus. 



Common near streams and on cool, damp slopes of hills. Throughout the 

 province ! Fr. most of the year, usually ripe May- June. Evergreen or sometimes 

 leatlestj in Maj-. 



L. 6-15" long, acuminate, often scabrid above, more or less pubescent beneath, 

 sec. n, 9-U. Petiole •2-'6". Stipules '75-1", hnear-lanceolate puberulous. Recepts 

 globose or pyriform, hispid, red-brown or ciuite white when ripe, sometimes half 

 buried in the soil, pedicel very short, bracts 3 at top of pedicel. Style of gall fl. 

 very short lateral, of female very long with 2-fid stigma. 



Lac is often cultivated on its branches which is sold at 2 as. per seer in Singbhum 

 or about one-quarter the price of Kusum lac. The ripe fruit is eaten. 



20. F. hispida, L. f. Syn. F. oppositifolia, JRoxb. ; Kota Durga, Th. 



Kotang, M. ; Sosokera, K. ; Seta-podo, *S'. ; Duniar, Kharw. ; 



Poroh, Mai P. ; Thedu, Gond. ; Tambol, Balu-dumari, Or. 

 A small tree 10-30 ft. high. Branches hispid, internodes hollow. 

 Leaves mostly opposite, ovate-oblong or somewhat obovate 4-9", 

 rather scabrid above and hispid beneath. Recepts numerous fascicled 

 on both the trunk and branches, often on leafless drooping branches, 

 also sometimes axillary, globose, closely shortly hairy, umbo promi- 

 nent. 



Along nalas, throughout the province ! Common in the damper districts, not 

 common in the dryer. Fr. Jan. -Feb. 



Rarely 3 ft. girth, often fruiting as a shrub. Dwarf, slow-grown plants 

 sometimes have the internodes nearly solid. L. toothed, rarely entire, cuspidate, 

 base cordate or rounded mostly 5-nerved, sec. n. 5-7 strong and raised beneath 

 looping close to the margin, tertiaries scalariform raised beneath and reticulate 

 between. Petiole •5-l'5", Recepts 1" diam., yellowish when ripe, base narrowed 

 to a slender or very short stalk with scattered bracts, sometimes also a true- 

 pedicel very short with a subverticil of 3 bracts at its apex, hispid. Style 

 hispid-hairy, stigma tubular. Male fl. very few. 



Bark yields a tibre. The fruit is eaten. " 



21. F. saBmocarpa, Miq. 



A low spreading or straggling bushy shrub .3-4 ft. high with hirsute 

 branchlets. Leaves crowded 4-8" opposite lanceolate or oblanceolate, 

 acuminate both ends, base with 1 lateral nerve each side not stronger 

 than the 8-10 secondaries which are upcurved close to the margin, 

 nerves strigose or pubescent beneath. Petiole •3-'8". Recepts 1-2 

 from the axils of fallen leaves or on short leafless branches, globose 

 with contracted stipiform base or ovoid or pyriform 1-1-3" long, 

 excluding the -o--?" stipes, hirsute, often 8-10-ribbed or verrucose, 

 with scattered bracts on the stipes extending on to the body of the 

 recept, apex with large-bracted umbo. 



Rocky or stony beds and banks of rivers. Bettiah ! Fr. practically all the year 

 round. 



This .shrub somewhat resembles F. lanceolata and may be more common than ia 

 supposed in the province. 



Leaves with lower surface minutely dotted with tubercles. Recepts "yellow- 

 green and warted with j^ellow when ripe, the ridges terminating in a' fleshy 

 cornice," J.D.H. Branchlets bracteate. The top of the stipes usually with 3 

 deciduous bracts. 



22. F. scandens, Roxb. Madhur lata, 8. 



A creeping and climbing shrub with the new shoots rusty and 

 hispid. Leaves ovate or elliptic-ovate acute or obtuse 2" by \" to 4" by 

 2-75", mature stiff and harsh, but scarcely scabrid above, glabrous 

 or with sparse short hairs on nerves beneath, base obtuse or sub- 



837 



