416 LXVII. URTICACEiE. [Ficus. 



ft. in Sindh. The roots spread wide near the surface, and are often above 

 ground. Bark thick, light-grey, smooth, on old trunks rough with large exfoli- 

 ating scales, inner substance red, fibrous, milky. 



The seed of the Peepul, like that of the Banyan, often germinates on roofs, 

 walls, and on other trees. The Peepul is particularly destructive to buildings. 

 It is often found as an epiphyte on Dalb. Sissoo, Bauhinia purpurea, and other 

 trees. Loranthus and other parasites are not generally found on this species or 

 on F. infectoria and glomerata. The wood is pinkish- white, with narrow con- 

 centric bands of lighter colour, open-grained, not strong or durable. Medullary 

 rays marked, showing like narrow horizontal bands on a vertical section. Pores 

 few, large. The cub. ft. weighs 44 lb. (Cunningham, Gwalior), 34 (Skinner) ; 

 the value of P. is 458 according to Cunningham's, and 584 according to Skinner's 

 experiments. The tree, being sacred, is rarely felled ; the wood is used as fuel 

 and to make packing-cases. In Central India the young leaf-buds are eaten as 

 a vegetable by the hill tribes during times of scarcity, the twigs and leaves are 

 a favourite fodder of elephants ; Roxburgh states that silkworms like the tender 

 leaves of this tree next to the Mulberry, leaves. Stick-lakh is largely produced 

 on the Peepul in Central India. Apart from being a sacred tree, it is planted 

 on account of its dense shade, and is easily raised from seed and cuttings. In 

 the Panjab cuttings do not succeed so well as those of the Banyan. Grows more 

 rapidly than Sissoo, Siris, or even Albizzia procera. At high elevations (4000 

 ft.) the extremities are often nipped by frost. The leaves, bark, and fruit are 

 officinal in native medicine. The skeleton leaves are used for painting by the 

 Chinese artists. 



6. F. cordifolia, Eoxb. 1. c. 548 (not Blume*). Tab. XLVIII 



Wight Ic. t. 640. Syn. Urostigma cordifolium, Miquel in Lond. Journ. 

 Bot. vi. (1847) 564. Ficus populiformis, Schott; Miquel Mus. Lugd. 

 Bat. iii. 287, perhaps F. terminalioides, Griffith, and affinis, Gr. Ic. PI. 

 As. t. 550, 553. Vern. Rumbal, paldk, badha, pilkhan, Pb. ; Kabor, 

 f/ajiun, gajua, pipal, N.W.P. ; Gagjaira, Oudh ; Pakar, khabar, C.P. ; 

 Pakri, Assam ; Pair, Bomb. 



A large tree. Leaves wholly glabrous, shining, ovate, acuminate, with 

 rounded or cordate base, edge undulate, basal nerves 3-5, midrib penni- 

 veined, basal and lateral nerves joined by closely reticulate and distinct 

 intramarginal veins, prominent in young, less distinct in old leaves, blade 

 4-5, petiole 2-3 in. long. Receptacles sessile, axillary, in pairs, each sup- 

 ported by 3 bracts, male and female flowers in the same receptacle, peri- 

 anth 3-4-parted, male flower monandrous. Fruit globose, black when 

 ripe, \ in. diam. 



Wild ; here and there, not common, in the Siwalik tract and outer Himalaya, 

 ascending to 5000 ft., and extending west to the Chenab. Bengal, Central 

 India, and "Western Ghats near Bombay. The leaves are renewed in March, 

 and the fruit ripens in May and June. Attains 40-50 ft., trunk short, of irregu- 

 lar shape, deep-furrowed and fluted, girth 7-8 ft., branches numerous, spread- 

 ing. Kesembles F. religiosa on a small scale. Often epiphytic, embracing 



* F. cordifolia, described from Java by Blume (Bijdragen, 1825, 438), has priority, 

 as Roxburgh's Flora, though written early this century, was not published until 1832, 

 but has, according to Miquel Mus. Lugd. Bat. iii. 260, not been found since Blume's 

 time. Under these circumstances, Roxburgh's well-known name for a well-known tree 

 may be permitted to stand for the present, pending a revision of this difficult genus. 



