160 VETICACEM. [Ficus. 



Dehra Dun and Siwalik range and eastwards along the Sub-Himalayan 

 tract. The receptacles ripen April to June. DISTRIB. : Outer 

 Himalayan ranges from the Indus to Bhutan, up to 5,000 ft., rarer 

 towards the west, also Assam, Khasia Hills, Chittagong, Chota Nagpur 

 and Orissa, extending to Burma, China and Japan. The bark yields 

 a coarse fibre, and the foliage is regarded as a good fodder for ele- 

 phants and camels. The fruit is much eaten either raw or cooked 

 in curries. For information regarding the development and fertili- 

 zation of the flowers see I). D. Cunningham in Appendix to Vol. I of 

 Ann. R. Bot. Gard. Calc. 



18, F. glomerata, Roxh. Cor. PL ii, 13, t. 123 ; Fl hid. Hi, 

 558 ; Royle III. 337 ; Brandis For. Fl. 422, t. 49 ; Ind. Trees 609 ; 

 King Sp. Ficus 173, t. 218 A ; F. B. I. v, 535 ; Watt E. D. ; Oomm. 

 Prod. Ind. 538 ; Kanjildl For. Fl. (ed. 2), 378 ; Gamble Man. 650 ; 

 Prain Beng. PL 983 ; Cooke FL Bomb, ii, 654. F. Goolerea,' Roxb. 

 Fl. Ind. Hi, 538. Vern. Gular (Hind.), umri (Mervvara). 



A tree, up to 60 ft. high ; bark smooth, reddish-brown ; young shoots 

 glabrous pubescent or scaberulous. Leaves membranous, 4-7 in. long, 

 ovate-oblong or elliptic -lanceolate, subacute, entire, glabrous or 

 upper surfaces when mature, usually somewhat pubescent beneath ; 

 base rounded or acute, 3-nerved ; main lateral nerves 4-6 pairs ; 

 petioles J-l| in., glabrous; stipules |-1 in. long; ovate-lanceolate, 

 scarious, pubescent. Receptacles in clusters on short thick scaly leafless 

 panicled branchlets from the trunk and larger branches, rarely with a 

 few axillary or.es, subglobose pyriform or turbinate, smooth or 

 downy, 1-2 in. across, reddish or orange-coloured when ripe ; umbilicus 

 depressed ; base much contracted and with 3 ovate-triangular 

 bracts. The male, female and gall flowers are all found together in 

 the same receptacle. MALE FLOWERS near the mouth of the receptacle, 

 sessile. Sepals 3-4, membranous, inflated, enveloping the 2 anthers. 

 Filaments connate. GALL FLOWERS stalked. Perianth gamophyllous, 

 irregularly toothed. Style lateral, elongate, stigma clavate. FERTILE 

 FLOWERS nearly sessile, forming a layer near the walls of the 

 receptacle. Perianth gamophyllous, with 4 or 5 long lanceolate teeth, 

 enveloping the small tuberculate achene. Style subterminal, stigma 

 clavate. 



A common tree within the area and also largely planted in villages. 

 It is leafless during the rainy season (about Aug.), and the figs ripen 

 between April and July. DISTRIB. : Throughout the greater part 

 of India from the Outer Himalayan ranges and south to S. India 

 and Ceylon, its western limit being Raj put ana and the Salt Range of 



