Ficus.] LXVII. URTICACEiE. 423 



numerous cordate scales, pedunculate, in clusters of 6-20, on short thick 

 leafless branchlets, on the trunk and at the base of main branches. 



Siwalik and outer Himalaya, ascending to 5000, and in places to 6000 ft., 

 and extending west to the Indus. Silhet and Chittagong. Fruit ripens (in 

 North India) March-May. Trunk short erect, dividing into a few stout 

 branches, which spread into a broad shady crown. The leaves are valued as 

 elephant- and cattle-fodder. The fruit is eaten and sold in bazaars ; its flavour 

 is not unpleasant. Wood heavier and harder than that of other species. 



F. triloba, Ham. ; Miq. Ann. Mus. Lugd. Bat. iii. 290 Syn. F. hirsuta, 

 Roxb. Fl. Ind. iii. 528 ; Wight Ic. t. 670 ; F. hirta, Roxb. 1. c. 531 ; F. Rox- 

 burghii, Miq. Lond. Journ. Bot. vii. 456, is a tree of Eastern Bengal, belonging 

 to another section of the genus, branches leaves and receptacles densely clothed 

 with ferruginous tomentum, leaves large, cordate or 3-lobed, fruit large, sessile, 

 axillary, in pairs, hairy, of a rich yellow colour, ovoid, thick fleshy, supported 

 at the base by 3 ovate acuminate bracts, perianth deeply 3-5-parted, red, male fl. 

 diandrous. 



16. F. hispida, Linn.nl. ; Benth. Fl. Austr. vi. 176. Syn. F. oppositi- 

 folia, Eoxb. Cor. PI. t. 124; Fl. Ind. iii. 561 ; Wight Ic. t. 638; Griff. 

 Ic. PI. As. t. 560. F. dcemonum, Koenig ; Roxb. 1. c. 562 ; Wight Ic. t. 

 641. Sans. Kako dumbara (the Crow's Udumbara). Vern. Daduri, 

 degar, rumbal, Pb. ; Kagsha, gobla, totmila, Kamaon ; Kat gularia, 

 Oudh ; Dliedu mera, Panch Mehals. 



A small or middle-sized tree, young luxuriant shoots hollow, nodes 

 marked by annular scars, branchlets rough with short stiff hairs. Leaves 

 all opposite, ovate- or obovate-oblong, entire or dentate, rough above, 

 tomentose beneath, main lateral nerves 4-6 pair, the lowest pair from the 

 base of leaf, joined by prominent transverse veins, blade 4-8 in., petiole 

 1-2 in. long. Receptacles pedunculate, sometimes axillary in pairs, more 

 generally clustered on leafless, often long pendulous branchlets from the 

 old wood on trunk and branches. Male flowers : a few near the mouth of 

 receptacle, monandrous, perianth of 3 or 4 broad hyaline segments envelop- 

 ing each other. Female flowers numerous, pedicellate ; perianth thin and 

 transparent ; ovary stipitate, stigma large, funnel-shaped. Fruit obovoid, 

 hairy, with 6 longitudinal ridges, 1 in. long, greenish when ripe. 



Siwalik tract and outer Himalaya, ascending to 3500 ft., and extending west 

 to the Chenab. Abundant (in moist ravines) in the Oudh forests. Common in 

 Bengal and the Central Provinces. Panch Mehals, South India, Ceylon, Burma, 

 Indian Archipelago, North Australia and Queensland. The leaves are renewed 

 Feb., March ; the fruit ripens April, May, and often remains long on the tree. 

 Usually a small tree, but attains 60 ft. in Sikkim. Bark thin, grey or greenish, 

 rough, inner bark milky. Wood coarse-grained, very light, 24| lb. per cub. ft. 

 P. =360 (Kyd). The acrid milk is used medicinally in Kangra. The tree is 

 much lopped for cattle-fodder. 



The following frutescent species of Ficus, which are found in the North- West 

 Himalaya, may be briefly mentioned here : 1. F. foveolata, Wall. Cat. No. 

 4493 ; Griff. Ic. PI. As. t. 561, ii. ; scandent, branches often rooting, branchlets, 

 petioles, under side of leaves and peduncles hairy, leaves short-petiolate, coria- 

 ceous, oblong-lanceolate, main lateral nerves 6-10 pair, alternating with shorter 

 ones, all anastomosing by prominent reticulate and intramarginal veins. Fruit 

 axillary, pedunculate but not stipitate, hairy, subglobose, supported at its base 



