12 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Ficus continued. 



thinly coriaceous, with numerous rather fine, parallel, primary 

 veins. Tropical Asia, Australia. A large elegant greenhouse 

 tree, with slender pendulous branches, quite glabrous. 



F. Brassii (Brass's).* I. somewhat fiddle-shaped, rich deep 

 green. Stems and petioles ferruginously tomentose. Sierra 

 Leone. A free, erect-growing species, equally suited for stove, 

 greenhouse, or sub-tropical purposes. 



F. Carica (Carian).* Common Fig-tree. I. simple, alternate, 

 stipulate, palmate and sub-trilobate, rough above, pubescent 

 beneath, h. 15ft. to 30ft. Mediterranean region, &c., 1548. For 

 culture, &c., see Fig. 



F. Chauvieri (Chauvier's).* I. oval-obtuse, very dark shining 

 green, with pale yellow veins, having one or more large marginal 

 undulations. This is described as being a noble species, with a 

 faultless habit, and, next to F. elastica, is the best for outside 

 culture in summer. 



F. comosa (tufted). Female florets pedicellate, growing amongst 

 long, narrow, acuminate, chaffy, white scales ; male florets tritid, 

 the divisions more acute than in the female. Receptacles 

 obovate-globose, small, the size of large peas, produced singly or 

 more often in pairs, from the axils of the petioles on the terminal 

 branchlets. I. very smooth and shining, dark green above, pale 

 beneath, coriaceous and thickish, entire, with a sharp, thin, 

 pellucid edge. Trunk rather slender, about 1ft. in diameter, 

 soon dividing into numerous spreading, or even declining branches. 

 Branches slender, bearing conglomerate masses of leaves towards 

 their ends. h. 40ft. India. A very handsome greenhouse tree. 

 (B. M. 3305.) 



F. Cooperi (Cooper's).* I. dark green, ovate, 1ft. or more long, 

 Sin. to 4in. wide. Probably Australia. A good ornamental- 

 leaved plant for either stove or greenhouse decoration. See Fig. 

 11, page 10. 



F. dealbata (whitened).* 1. elliptic, about 1ft. long by 6in. 

 broad, coriaceous, deep green above, and, from the presence 

 ilky hairs beneath, the under side is of 



of a thick coat of 

 sno 



cuous in the you 



mvy whiteness, which is particularly conspi 



folding leaves. Peru, 1867. A very disl 

 enhouse species. (I. H. 1870, 4.) 



iversifolia (opposite-leaved).* I. leathery, rounded above, 

 rowed into the snort stalk below, upper surface bright green, 



. . . - 



9in. broad, bright shining green, 

 and principal veins. India, 1869. 



ng 



. , . istinct and beautiful 



greenhouse species. (I. H. 1870, 4.) 



F. dii 

 narrow 



dotted with light brown specks; lower" pale green. A compact 

 grower, well adapted for general decorative purposes. Green- 

 house. (G. C. 1881, xvi. 247.) 



F. cburnea (ivory).* /. oblong-ovate, petiolate, about 15in. long, 

 , with stout ivory-white midribs 

 A tine free-growing greenhouse 

 species. 



F. elastica (elastic).* Indiarubber Plant. I. coriaceous, 6in. to 

 18in. long, and 3in. to 6in. broad ; upper surface dark bright 

 shining green, yellowish-green below. East Indies, 1815. This 

 splendid plant is very largely grown, both for indoor decoration 

 and for sub-tropical gardening. (G. C. 1874, ii. 358.) 



F. e. foliis aureo-marginatis (gold-margined-leaved). A very 

 effective variety with golden-edgea leaves, especially in autumn, 

 when it has become full-coloured. The yellow band is about lin. 

 broad, contrasting beautifully with the dark shining green of 

 the centre. Greenhouse. There are also other variegated forms 

 of less value. 



F. cxsculpta (cut-out).* I. shortly stalked, lanceolate in outline, 

 sinuatelylobed ; lobes again sinuate so as to produce a prettily 

 cut margin. South Sea Islands, 1879. A very handsome stove 

 evergreen, the curious crenations giving the leaf the appear- 

 ance of having been stamped or punched out. See Fig. 12, for 

 which we are indebted to Mr. Wm. Bull. 



F. glomerata (glomerate). I. thin, elliptic, acuminate, 6in. to Sin. 

 long, 2in. broad, on long petioles. Stems terete, finely pubescent. 

 Australia, 1869. A free-growing greenhouse species, of slender 

 habit. SYN. F. vesca. 



F. macrophylla (large-leaved).* Australian Banyan ; Moreton 

 Bay Fig. I. thin, coriaceous, glossy, ovate-oblong, entire, cordate 

 at theT>ase, 4in. to lOin. long, Sin. to 4in. broad ; veins slightly 

 elevated on both surfaces ; petioles smooth, lin. to 2in. long. 

 Queensland and New South Wales, 1869. Greenhouse. 



F. minima (smaller). See F. stipulate. 



F. Parcelli (Parcell's).* I. oblong-acuminate, serrated, bright 

 green, irregularly blotched with dark green and ivory-white. 

 Polynesia, 1874. A very ornamental variegated stove plant. 

 (F. d. S. 2273-4.) 



F. religiosa (religious). Peepul. I. bright green, nearly cor- 

 date; apex elongated into a tail-like process, h. 25ft. East 

 Indies, 1731. A handsome stove plant for decorative purposes 

 forming itself into a compact bush. (B. F. S. 314.) 



F. repens (creeping). A synonym of F. stipulata. 



F. Roxburgh!! (Roxburgh's), /.green, fr. collected in bundles 

 of eight to twelve near root, turnip-shaped, ribbed, villous, 

 having umbilicus closed by numerous cordate imbricate scale*. 

 I. large, smooth, roundish-cordate, three-nerved, downy on the 

 nerves beneath, sometimes repandly toothed, h. 20ft. Silhet, 

 1840. Greenhouse. See Fig. 13. (R. H. 1872, 385.) 



F. rubiginosa (rusty -leaved). 3., perianth three-parted ; seg- 



Ficus continued. 



FIG. 13. FRUIT AND LEAF OF Ficus ROXBURGHII. 



ments roundish-oval, concave. Receptacle greenish-brown, 

 globose, with an obtuse umbo at the point, the surface granulated 

 with small tubercles. I. numerous, handsome, Sin. to 4in. long, 



, 



coriaceous, elliptical, quite entire, on petioles about lin. long, 

 obtuse at the point and at the base ; when young, 

 especially on the under side, with a ferruginous down ; the older 



covered, 



base ; when 

 , ferruginous 



ones are glabrous except on the nerves beneath. Branches spread- 

 ing, numerous. New South Wales, 1827. A small stove tree. 

 (B. M. 2939.) 



F. scandens (climbing). A synonym of F. stipulata. 



F. Stipulata (stipulate).* I. small, roundish, dark green. A very 

 handsome little climber, attaching itself to walls, &c., like Ivy. 

 It is half-hardy, and is frequently seen in greenhouses. China 

 and Japan, 1721. SVNS. F. repens and F. scandens. (B. M. 6657.) 

 F. minima, and other small-leaved forms, are only slender- 

 twigged, extensively creeping states of barren young plants of 

 /'. stipulata. 



F. Suringarii (Suringar's). I. large, cordate, serrate ; upper sur- 

 face rich dark green ; main ribs deep red. Amboyna, 1866. An 

 ornamental erect-growing stove species. 



F. vesca (weak). A synonym of F. glomerata. 

 FIDDLE-SHAPED. Obovate, with one or two deep 



recesses on each side. 



FIDDLE WOOD. See Citharexylum. 



FIELDIA (named in honour of Baron Field, F.L.S., 

 once Judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales). 

 ORD. Gesneraceoe. An ornamental climbing 1 , radicant, green- 

 house evergreen shrub, thriving well in a compost of peat 

 and loam, to which a little sand and small pieces of char- 

 coal have been added. Increased by cuttings of firm side 

 shoots, left intact, and planted in sandy soil, under a glass. 

 F. australis (Southern), fl. white, pendulous ; corolla tubular, 



ventricose; peduncles axillary, solitary, one-flowered. July. I. 



simple, opposite, remote, elliptic, coarsely serrated, acute at both 



ends. New South Wales, 1826. (B.M. 5089.) 



