URTICACE^: 381 



ARTOCARPUS, one (or two) stamens and four sepals ; 

 the latter are of the two kinds, some having a short 

 the others a longer style, and contain but one ovule. 

 It is not easy to make out these flowers completely, 

 but the general structure of the receptacle and its 

 flowers can be seen without any difficulty if a young 

 fruit is cut open. Other common species of FICUS 

 are : 



F. RELIGIOSA, L., the Peepul or Bo tree. The 

 leaves have long acuminate points, and move with 

 the slightest breeze because the petiole is flattened. In 

 this respect the tree resembles the Aspen of Europe. 



F. GLOMERATA, Roxb., the common Indian edible 

 Fig. The edible Fig of Egypt and South Europe 

 (the common Fig sold in a dry state) is the fruit of 

 another species, F. CARICA, L. 



F. HETEROPHYLLA, L. (F. SCANDENS, Roxb.) the 

 Indian Ivy, a small creeping plant and root-climber,, 

 whose leaves lie closely oppressed to the tree or wall 

 on which it is growing, or if borne on free branches 

 are of a different shape. 



ARTOCARPUS and Ficus are the examples of URTICA- 

 CE^E, which are perhaps commonest on the plains of 

 India. 



There are others with much the same sort of reduced 

 flowers (for a flower which consists only of two sepals 

 and one or tw r o stamens, we must consider as reduced), 

 but with these arranged in some other way, e.g. on 

 a flat angular receptacle as in DORSTENIA. 



But another large section of the family consist of 

 plants which have more normal flowers, such as the 

 Nettles (URTICA and LAPORTEA), and Nettle-like plants 



