ObZ PESTUCA 



FESTtrCA (an aucient name of uncertain meaning). 

 Gramlnecs. Fescue Grass. Usually cespitose, peren- 

 nial gras.se9 of varying habit. Lvs. rather dry, harsh, 

 and usually narrow. Spikelets several, in dense or loose 

 and spreading panicles; empty glumes unequal, mostly 

 keeled ; flowering-glumes not keeled, pointed. Spe- 

 cies about 80, in all jiarts of the world. They are 



u.seful for lawn^ : f. : • ,: i-iii|. ,..,-,. 



glaiioa, Lam. <r < ■ -■', \;ir. tii.ihr.t. llark.l. 

 Bi.cE Fescue (ii-, - \ i ■,. , \.i\u.\. l,:,,Mv 1..1- 



plant for edgings 

 colored plants, 

 window-boxes am 

 where if not too 

 sion of the tufts. 



t foliage with dr. 



in hanging-bask 

 will grow almost : 



Propagated by li 



amethjBtina, Host. [F. ovtna, var. pmmmdpliila, 

 Hack.). Avery pretty grass with violet-colored culm 

 and sheaths: lvs. somewhat thin and long, blue-green: 

 panicles slightly branched, small, often violet-colored: 

 spikelets short-awned, seldom awnless. Europe. — Use- 

 ful as an ornamental grass in the garden for dry, sunny 



panicle large, open and nodding at the apex. Eii. It is an 

 excellent grass for woodland parks, where it is too shady for 

 the successful growth of other lawn grasses. 



P. B. Kennedy. 



FETTICUS. Another name for Cnrn SalnrJ. 



FEVEEBUSH. 8i-e Benzohi. 



FEVERFEW. Chnjs.inthcmiim Purlhnnum. 



FEVER TREE is rhu-l;ne,j„ puhens. 



FEVERWOET. Triostenm. 



FIBER PLANTS are treated only incidentally in this 

 work. Division of Publications, U. S. Department of 

 Agriculture, Washington, D. C, issues free publications 

 of the OtKce of Fiber Investigations. 



FlCUS (ancient Latin name). Vrlicicew. The Fig, 

 the India Huhbir Plant, the liaiivaii Tree and tlieCreep- 



ural trriH, ''',". ',' .,-' ,,'.'" ' 'i'm.i'! Vt'lm..',i)i 

 the warnn r -. • .,, .1 ,,, •,,:,, i , ,- I , ;, s n.. n.-ar .■. 1 iy 



climliir . i Im .■iinimon Fig the lvs. 



aredi'.iii i.., ,: i.;' ■..,,,... i ,,i the other species they 

 areeiitM a vy or has a few teeth 



alternatf. /'. A. ..//(./*/ Ii. in' nlv ^■vofi<"- of f)K'-;f tli-- 



scribed below which lias - •■ '• I ' ■ i i- n 



Ficus varies all the way 1 1 : - i ■ n!; , i.m, ~, 



and is astonishingly van:ii! n I i :!m 



veins are very helpful in i.th:,L' ih. |., . n :,|.,iri 

 W hat ihrl,..iticnlturistcallstli.-Fit'. "rfruit.isthcflesliy 

 r. rr|ii.iri, . ^^ hiip the fruit of the botanist is the seed in- 

 >) I' I I'l^-. M , I. In the following account fruit is used 

 iiisti-a'l ot' rr(a'j>tacle. 



The fertilization or caprification of the Fig is one of 

 the most surprising, interesting and complicated chap- 

 ters in natural history, and is of great practical impor- 

 tance. See Fig, where the culture of F. Carica is dis- 

 cussed. 



The most important ornamental plant in the genus is 

 the India Rubber Plant (/'. f/x.s/iViO. which probably 



FICUS 



ranks amongst the 25 most popular foliage plants for 

 liuiue use indoors. Its culture is given below at length. 

 This is one of the most important rubber-producing 

 plants. See Suhbtr Plants. 



The Creeping Fig {F. pumiln, better known asrepens 

 or slipiiliila), is one of the commonest and best climbers 



laiiches are very unlike the barren 

 out from the conservatory wall in- 

 and close. The lvs. of the barren 



anl 111 art - shaped, with one side 

 '<' iLi I than the other at the base 

 ami a X • ry short petiole ; the lvs. 

 ' r iriiiiiiig branches are 2-3 inches 

 long, elliptic-oblong, narrowed at 

 the base, and with a petiole some- 

 times half an inch long. 



Among the many wonders of the 

 genus Ficus are the epiphytal habit 



of 



the 



Banyan Tree (F. BenghaUnsis). 

 and the fact that some species ripen 

 their fruits under ground. Some of 

 tlie tallest tropical trees arc mem- 

 bers of this genus, and often they 

 I'fgin life by climbing upon other 

 tries. The Ficus often overtops and 

 ■ utlives the other tree, which may 

 I"' seen in every stage of decay, or 

 Niay have entirely disappeared, 

 li aving the giant climber twined 

 spirally around a great hollow cyl- 

 inder. The Banyan Tree sends down 

 some of its branches (or aerial 

 roots) into the soil, the.se take root, 

 make new ti-unks, and eventually 

 produce a great forest, in which it 

 is impossible to tell the original 

 trunk. The Banyan in the botanic 

 gardens at Calcutta sprung from 

 a seed probably dropped by a pa - n 

 of a date palm a little mon ,i 

 main trunk is now 42 ft. in < r i 

 232 additional trunks, mnny ■ i 

 ference, and the brata-'it- . ■ . i ; 

 in circumference. |. !• • 

 through which sxihIilI 



817. Young Figs. 

 Showing how they 

 arise from the axils 

 of the leaves. 



whii 



of propagation, but F. Berighat- 



of Ficus are cultivated for fruit, 



ii' fi-rs, and for shade outdoors in 



ii.d in the key by A, aa. and 



I lirocurable from southern 



Index of names (synonyms in italic) : 

 urea, 18. infeetoria, 12. pu 



A. Cult, for fruit. 



1. Cirica, Linn. Figs. 817, 821, 822. Height li)-30 ft.: 

 s. ::-," lol.id. till- lolii'.. more or less wavy-margined 



loll, .1. an.l Willi iialiitat.- veins, whereas nearly all 

 .ci. - mi iiiimi. ,1 111 liiw are pinnately veined: fr. 

 ii;lo, a\illar>. |i. .•ir--lia|.c.l. Supposed to be a native 



(alia, in A^ill Jlinor. Makes a fine pot-plant, and 



