TREES THAT COUNT THE FICUS 87 



known by the native generic term " Abba ". Owing 

 to the excellent keeping qualities of the latex, the 

 F. Vogleii was at one period favourably regarded by 

 the Lagos authorities as a possible successor to the 

 beautiful Funtumia elastica, which had almost dis- 

 appeared owing to the greed and ignorance of the 

 West African natives. It was found, however, that 

 the rubber was of little value unless mixed with that 

 of the Landolphia or other of the indigenous rubbers 

 of the forest, and it was generally in this compound 

 form that the product of the F. Vogleii reached the 

 European market. 



Moreover, F. Vogleii requires plenty of ground if 

 it is to enjoy a healthy existence. As a rule the tree 

 branches at six feet from the base, and Alvan Millson 

 records measuring a thirteen-year-old F. Vogleii 

 having a girth of 6 ft. 4 in., measuring 60 ft. high 

 and possessing a foliage area of a quarter of an acre. 

 It goes without saying, therefore, that a plantation 

 of F. Vogleii of this strain would cover too much 

 ground for the average planter. The tree, neverthe- 

 less, enjoys a certain amount of popularity in the 

 Lagos district, where it is found to make excellent 

 shade and to be unfailing in the supply of its latex. 

 Commercially, however, it has now been displaced by 

 the Ficus elastica, the most valuable of all the Ficus 

 family. In Queensland the tree is known as the 

 Moreton Bay fig. Ficus elastica possesses in its 

 natural state the quality of an epiphyte, reproducing 

 itself in the forks of trees 30 to 40 feet above the 

 surface of the ground. In the course of years the 

 roots reach the soil beneath, where they rapidly grow 



