/'/>.] IUITICACE.E. 



Northern and Eastern Bengal with hairy, large leaves and large golden pubescent edible 

 fruit. F. <'/titt<jon<j((, Miq. ; Kurx ii. 458 ; Gamble G. Vern. Yogona, Beng.; Saphtti, 

 Mairh; 27ia-hpan-ben, Burin., is a tree of the savannah forests of Pegu and Ghitta- 

 gong. 



F. Carica, Linn. ; Brandig 418. The Fig. Vern. Anjir, Hind. ; Simri, fagu, 

 faguri, fagdri, Pb., is cultivated in the plains of North-West India and hills up to 

 5,000 feet,' but the produce is generally poor. iUatliieu Fl. For., page 251, gives the 

 weight of the wood at 34 to 45 Ibs. per cubic foot. The wood is soft, white with a 

 yellowish tinge, and full of milky juice. 



Those here given are only a few of the most important among the very numerous 

 species. There are many more which are common enough, but few of any very great 

 forest interest, 



The structure of all species of Ficus is exceedingly uniform. Wood 

 generally soft, marked by alternate bands of soft and firm tissue ; no 

 heartwood. Pores small to large, scanty, except in the wood of the 

 scandent species, which is porous as usual in the case of climbers. Medul- 

 lary rays generally of two classes, fine and moderately broad. As far as 

 the materials at our disposal permit us to venture upon a classification, 

 we should be inclined to say that there are two types which differ more 

 in the general appearance of the wood than in structure. Ficus religiosa, 

 elastica, retusa, Cunia, nemoralis and virgata have wood of plain, smooth 

 appearance, which, though the medullary rays are apparent on a radial 

 section, is not mottled and streaked as in the other species. The species 

 with rough, mottled and streaked wood are Ficus bengalensis, infectoria, 

 cordifolia, comosa, regia, glomerate and Roxburghii. Ficus virgata differs 

 from all the rest by having white, more compact wood. F. parasitica 

 has the large pores of a climber. 



1. F. bengalensis, Linn.; Beddome ccxxii.; Brandis 412; Kurz ii. 

 440; Gamble 73. F. indica, Roxb. Fl. Ind. iii. 539. The Banyan. 

 Vern. Bor, bar, her, bargat, Hind.; Bur, but, Beng. ; Boru, Uriya ; 

 Borhar, Nep. ; Kangji, Lepcha ; Ranket, Garo ; Bot, Ass. ; Bare.lli, 

 Gondi; Wora, Kurku; Ala, Tarn.; Mdri, peddi-mari, Tel.; Ahlada, ala- 

 damara, ala, Kan. ; Peralu, Mai. ; War, Patfo,M&r. ; Maha-nuga, Cingh. ; 

 Pyee-nyoung, Burm. 



A large evergreen tree, throwing down numerous aerial roots from the 

 branches. Bark i inch thick, greyish white, smooth, exfoliating in small 

 irregular plates. Wood grey, moderately hard ; no heartwood. Pores 

 scanty, moderate-sized, joined by narrow, wavy, concentric bands of soft 

 tissue alternating with broader bands of firmer tissue and darker colour. 

 Medullary rays fine, equidistant, prominent. On a radial section pores 

 and medullary rays distinctly marked, giving the wood a mottled 

 appearance. 



Planted by Hindoos throughout India up to 4,000 feet ; wild in the Sub-Himalayan 

 tract, Bengal and Central India. 



The rate of growth is not distinguishable by means of the annual rings, hue 

 it is known that it is very fast. The tree sends down aerial roots from the branches 

 these root in the ground and grow into separate trunks which serve as supports for 

 the branches and as feedeers for the tree, which thus largely increases in spread of 

 foliage. Roxburgh states that he saw some trees with fully 500 yards circumference 

 round the spread of branches and about 100 feet high. Brandis says that many 

 specimens may be seen in Bengal with the crown 200 to 300 feet in diameter. In 

 Bengal the aerial roots and long branches are usually more developed than in Northern 

 India, but the trunk in the latter drier region attains a larger girth, often 25 to 30 feet. 

 In the forest it does not seem to spread so widely as in the open or as the India-rubber 

 Fig (F. elastica] does. Roxburgh says the largest trees are to be found about the 



