MORACE^. 



SILVA OF NORTH AMERICA. 



93 



trop 



of both hemispheres, the largest number being found on the islands of the Malay Arehipelag 



and the Pacific Ocean ; a few species extend beyond the tropics into Mexico, southern Florida, which 

 mhabited by two indigenous Fig-trees, Argentina, southern Japa 

 the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands, and southern Africa- 



d China, the countries borderin 



The typ 



ancient 



having 



existed in the cretaceous age, when several species of Ficus flourished in Europe,^ and during tertiary 

 times in North America, where Ficus then abounded with many species in the northern Rocky Mountain 

 region ^ and ranged to the shores of the Pacific Ocean .^ 



Some of the species of Ficus produce edible fruit, the most valuable as fruit-trees being Ficus 

 CariQa^ the type of the genus, and Ficus Sycomoriis.^ From the thick milky juice of others India 

 rubber is made,^ All the species produce soft light perishable wood. 



1 



Saporta, Origine Paleontologique des Arbres, 204. — Zittel, fig on Fig-trees at the fruiting season or in planting occasional 



Handh, Palceontolog. 478, f. 283-285. 



1-63 



3-6 



Western 



Ward 



1884-85, 552, t. 44-46 {Si/n. Fl. Laramie Group), 

 IX, Mem, Mus. Comp. ZooL vi. pt. ii. 17, t. 4, f. 6-11 

 of the Auriferous Gravel Deposits of the Sierra Nevada.) 



Caprifigs in Fig orchards in order that the female insects which 

 are hatched from eggs laid in the gall flowers of the Caprifig may 

 enter the receptacles of the Fig-tree, and insure the fertilization of 

 the pistillate flowers with pollen carried from the staminate flowers 

 of the Caprifig. 



D. D. Cuuningham, from investigations made on Ficus Rox* 

 burghii, Miquel, in the Botanic Garden of Calcutta (Ann. Bot. 



* Linnseus, iSpec. 1059 (1753). — Hayne, 4r2:?i- ix, t. 13. — Parla- Gard. Calcutta^ i. Appx. 1, t. 1-5) reached the conclusion that the 



Brandis, Forest FL Brit. Ind, 418. — Bois- fertilization of this species at least is asexual, the female flower 



tore, Fl. ItaL iv. 367. 

 sier, FL Orient, iv. 1154. 



Caprificus insectiferaj Gasparini, Nov. Gen. Fie. 6 (1844). 



being prolific without pollen when visited by Blastophaga, whose 

 visit to the staminate flower is also necessary to insure the pro- 



Ficus Carica, whose succulent receptacles are the edible figs of duction of pollen. Although Linngeus (Hort. Cliff. 471) recognized 



commerce, has been cultivated from ancient times, and now grows the fact that the Fig and the Caprifig were male and female 



spontaneously from Afghanistan and eastern Persia through all the forms of the same species, later botanists continued to consider 



Mediterranean region to the Canary Islands, being arrested to the them specifically distinct, and Gasparini placed the two trees in 



north by the mountains of the Caucasus and western Europe. The distinct genera, Ficus and Caprificus (Nov, Gen. Fie. 6), the view 



evidence collected by A. de Candolle (Origine des Plantes Cultivees, which was maintained by the Dutch botanist Miquel (Hooker, 



235), seems to fix its prehistoric home in the Mediterranean basin Land. Jour. Bot, vii. 222). By others the Caprifig has been consid- 



from Syria to the Canary Islands, although in the case of a plant ered the wild type from which the cultivated Fig has been derived 



like the Fig-tree, cultivated for centuries for its food, with minute (Solms-Laubach, AbhandL GeselL Wiss. Gott, [Die Herkunfty Domes^ 



seeds which do not lose vitality in the process of animal digestion, tication und Verbreitung der gewohnlichen FeigenbaumJ). Fritz Miil- 



it is not easy to decide to what extent its habitat has been extended ler (KosmoSy xi. 306), however, established the fact, now generally 



by the agency of man. 



The Fig-tree was known and cultivated by the ancient Egyp- 



recognized, that the two plants were sexual forms of one species ; 

 and while the action of the insect (Blastovhaaa orossorum. Graven- 



tians, and is mentioned in the oldest books of the Hebrew race. horst) appears to be necessary to insure the fertilization of the 

 Numerous varieties were originated and valued by the Greeks, one ovaries and the production of seeds, caprification from ar 



economic 



of these from Caria in Asia Minor furnishing the Fig-tree with its point of view in the case of some varieties, at least, has probably 

 scientific name. Ficus Carica, which is now cultivated in innu- little practical significance, as the receptacles containing the female 

 merable varieties in all temperate countries, supplies the people flowers, which are the edible figs, often grow without reference to 

 of southern Europe and western Asia with one of their most impor- the production of seeds. (See, also, Paul Meyer, MittheiL Zoolog. 

 tant articles of food ; the fruit is eaten fresh and dried, and dried StaL Neap. iii. 551 [_Zur NaturgescMchte der Feigeninsecten']), 



Hermann Miiller, The Fertilization 

 Annual Rep. California State Board 



Nature, xxvii 



figs are now exported from Asia Minor, which is the great Fig- 

 producing region, to North America and all the countries of of Flowers^ English ed. 

 Europe. Figs are slightly laxative, and are sometimes used in the Agriculturey 1891, 227). 

 treatment of chronic constipation (FlUckiger & Hanbury, Pharma- 

 cographia, 487. — U. S. Dispens. ed. 16, 711). 



The staminate and gall flowers of Ficus Carica occupy elongated 

 receptacles borne on one individual, and the pistillate flowers a glo- 

 bose or pyriform receptacle on another. The difference in the 

 shape, size, and general appearance of the two receptacles is so 

 great that the trees producing them were long considered distinct, 

 that with the staminate and gall flowers being called the Caprifig 

 and the other the Fig. Vague ideas of the sexual relations of the 



fi Linnaus, L c. (1753). — Forskal, FL jEgypt-Arab. 180. 



Boissier, L c. 1155. 



Svcomorus antiouorum^ Miquel, Hooker Lond, Jour, Bot, vii 



109. — Gasparini, Ricerch. Caprf 86. 



omorus 



with a dense spreading crown, is often planted in Egypt 



in avenues. 



that 



am- 



mals. 



mummy cases of the ancient Egyptia 



two plants led to the practice of caprification, which was originated were made. 



Minor 



Fl 



southern Europe, and has lately been mtroduced into California. iNTeci. /nrf.i. 446. — Roxburgh, F/. /nrf. ed. 2, iii. 541.— G.King 



It consists in placing the receptacle-bearing branches of the Capri- 



45, t. 54 ; Hooker f Fl 



