584 



FICUS 



F. young Ivs. densely covered with wool beneath. 



K. Pdlmeri, Watf^on. Trpp, 8-12 ft. hiffh. hr.mching 

 near the ground : Iv--. :< in. Ion-, -2 ■;>•. in, -vi,!, : pr-tiole 



1 in. long : tv. in im,. ,, m,,- ..i,,i i ,,, Tliick. 



Discovered on ^ i i ^icrn 



Mexico, 1887.-1^ . i . : , , :. iv hot 



and dry places. I'l; -r'lii -n-, .,i .iiimn- :m n , 



FF. I'uuiKj Ifs. not uoolli/. 



G. Base of Ira. narrowed. 



H, Stipules glabrous. 



17. retOsa, Linn. (/'. nilida, Thunb., and Hort., not 

 Blume). Lvs. 2-4 in. long; nerves 5 or 6 pairs; petiole 

 3-« lines long; fr. sessile, in pairs, axillary, 4 lines thick, 

 yellow or reddish. Trop. Asia, Malaya. -A large ever- 

 green tree with a few aerial roots. 



18. a&rea, Nutt. Branches pale, smooth, furrowed : 

 lvs. 3-t in. long, smooth, oblong, entire, narrowed but 

 obtuse at earh end. stout-i.i-tii.k-d : fr. (ii-;inL-c-vfl]o\v, 



19. tadica, 



F. stipiilata. 



about the size of a small cherry. Trop. Africa, India.— 

 A tree, 70-100 ft. higli. rooting from the branches, thus 

 f.iiniin- -.irrr-^^ury tinnks and extending the growth of 

 ""■ !'•'■ in.l. iliiii. I, I'Mi-iin explanation of the confu- 

 ^i"ii ("Iv. . n I;, n^lKiLn-iis and Indica, see Hooker's 



HH. Serfes al'"i'! , • , ,- /,• . i' ,-, . ,' ,;„. /,.,,,,. 



21. religidsa, l.n ■•, r ; :' , i ; ,,,: 



Petiole 3-4 in. l.n 



pairs, sessile, d:irk i.Nr[. I.', • . •,, il,,-;. In in i,n i i, 

 435.-Grows 100 tt. Iii-h, :.n.i ii,,. iv« .„vn„n,i.„i ,.„ 

 their long, flexible petioles 



F. AlzHii. G. Don. is a plant from S. Afr., never described by 

 Don. Tlie plant iji tlie trade is said to be P. eri.ilintvoides 

 Once advert isi-.l b.r iu.lu.,r nniiuii.nt l.v IMli-ln-r A: .Maiida.- 



'"" '■ ' !' :. / ///./(ia, Dryund. From 



'"' ' I '' i--li India. Advertised 



\~''- I I ■ ;'». Kuuth & Bouch*. 



'" ' :;. Ii:u In aIm. ,,x - ;i mcwsOOft.highandhas 



"I ' i III nili.iL'f. winrii IS iironze :inil ropper-rolored wlicii 



' 'I ^ /■'/rifuUa niay bo F. Benjjiminji, erocta, PniitiiiM'sii 



Tlie name is advertisied by Yokohama XvirMiv Cn . 

 iulvcrtise F. erecta. -^y -^| 



Ii' - LLASTicA, or the Rubber Plant as it is known 

 idl over tliis country, is perhaps the most poiiuliir ami 

 Siitistactory house plant that has ever been euliivated. 

 It is a plant for the million. Some florists have M-virai 

 houses especially devoted to the propagation and culti- 

 vation of this tough and thrifty plant. There arc also 

 thousands upon thousands of young plants or rooted 

 cuttings from thumb-pots imported into this nuintrv 

 especially from Belgium an.l Hollanil, for marketing 

 every spring. It is , ~i iin:ii. il ilin fn.m 7.5,000 to 80,(100 



otten runs mn. n i.n.li, .iml 1.1:1,1, ml l„di.-,ii red. 



The method of pi-„pa;;ating now pojiular in America 

 I ni ploys old, bushy stock-plants, either in jiots or tubs, 

 or planted out into a bed where the night temperature 

 lan be kept from 00° to 7.">° F. As somi as the young 

 shoots are 5-6 in. bnn iln v m 1 ..|., r.in .I u, An in- 

 cision is made at tin . I il, il to root 

 the young plant, <nni , midwav be- 

 tween two eyes, niakn,^ Il ,itM IV III I ,■ t i-.iiii l-^:i in. 



long, according to tliL inn km .,., au.l bnmli ,,1 the young 

 shoot or branch. A small wedge, as a piece of match, 

 is then inserted to keep the cut open. A large handful of 

 clean, damp, well prepared moss is then placed around 

 the branch to cover the cut and is tied moderately 

 firm with twine or raffia. Some use a small piece of 

 charcoal for a wedge in the cut; others coat the two 

 cuts with a mixture of charcoal dust and lime. The lat- 

 ter practice, in the opinion of tlie writer, is beneficial in 

 that it expedites the callusiiKr ..f thn .mis .-nni tlic root- 

 ing of the young plant after b. in- . nt .iml in..ss. d. Tin- 

 moss should be kept constanth imii-t nrid tin- hi di.r 

 the ■ - - - 



pla 



should be tied u]i in unli r 1 km 1 hi ■■, 

 .iured by coming in .11 1 : 

 flat on the pots. Tin 

 bottom heat and frniin. m .\ 1 ihliu-, ,, 

 clear days. As soon as tin- yi>nnt,' plani- 

 the stock-plant, a little wax should be \> 

 the cut to prevent the milky sap from 

 best time nf the year to propagate ami 1. 



Listle m the slightest 1 



