Ficus.] URTICACEM. 147 



1. F. parasitica, Keen, ex Willd. in Mem, Acad. Berol. 1798, 102 ; 

 Brandis For. Fl, 420. F. gibbosa, Blume, -car. parasitica, King 

 p. Ficus 6, t. 2, fig. B ; F. B. I. V., 497 ; Watt E. D. ; KanjiW 

 For. Fl. (ed. 2) 368 ; Prain Beng. PL 979 ; Cooke Fl. Bomb, ii, 644 ; 

 Brandis 2nd. Trees 599. F. Ampelos, K&n. ; Roxb. Fl. Ind. Hi, 

 'j-j'j. F. sclerophylla, Roxb. I. c. 546. Vern. Chhanchri and dadu- 

 banda (Dehra Dun). 



Usually an epiphytic climber ; branchlets scaberulous- ; bark thin, 

 smooth, greenish-yellow. Leaves alternate, thinly coriaceous, 3-6 

 in. long, more or less rhomboid, obtuse acute or acuminate, minutely 

 hispid above, scabrid and minutely hispid beneath ; base acute, often 

 unequal-sided, 3-nerved ; main lateral nerves 3-7 pairs, prominent 

 beneath and joining within the margin ; petioles J-J in. ; stipules 

 about as long as the petioles, ovate-lanceolate, convolute. Recep- 

 tacles stalked, solitary or in pairs or fascicled, axillary and from below 

 the leaves, -J-J in. across, depressed- globose or subpyriform, without 

 basal bracts, scabrid and mammillate, yellow when ripe ; peduncle 

 .as long as the receptacle, bracteate at the base. MALE FLOWERS near 

 the mouth of the receptacles containing gall flowers. Sepals 4-6, 

 linear, fleshy, hairy. Stamen 1 , filament short, united at the base to 

 an abortive pistil. GALL FLOWERS : Perianth as in the male. Ovary 

 globose, smooth ; style short, lateral. FERTILE FLOWEBS in separate 

 receptacles. Sepals 4, hyaline. Style elongate, lateral. Achene 

 obliquely ovid, slightly papillose. 



Dehra Dun and eastwards along the Sub-Himalayan forest tracts ; 

 also in Bundelkhand ; often found as an epiphyte on other species of 

 Ficus, such as pipal and banyan. Receptacles ripen Jan. -March. 

 DISTRIB. Throughout India and in Ceylon extending to Burma and 

 the Andaman Islands. The rough leaves are used for polishing ivory 

 and wOvjd, and the root-bark is used in native medicine ; the leaves 

 are given as fodder to cattle. 



2. F. bengalcnsls- Linn. Hort. Cliff. 471 No. 4 : Brandis For. 

 Fl. 412 ; Ind. Trees 600 ; King Sp. Fie. 18, t. 13 ; F. B. I. V., 499 ; 

 Watt E. D. ; Comm. Prod. Ind. 536 ; Collett FL SimL 459 ; Kanjilal 

 For. FL (ed. 2], 369 ; Gamble Man. 638 ; Prain Beng. PL 979 ; Cooke 

 Fl. Bomb, ii, 645. F. indica, Linn. ; Roxb. Fl. Ind. Hi, 539 ; Rotjle 

 III. 339. Vern Bor. bar, bargatThe Banyan tree. 



A large nearly evergreen tree sometimes up to 100 ft. .in height ; branches 

 horizontally spreading and throwing down ot intervals a succession 

 .of aerial roots which form supports for the indefinite elongation of 



