UETICACEAE. 105 



1. Ficus aurea Nutt. Sylva 2: 4. 1846. 



Ficus sapotaefolia Kunth & Bouche, Ind. Sem. Hort. Berol. 1846: 17. 



1846. 

 Ficus dimidiata Griseb. Fl. Br. W. I. 151. 1859. 



A tree, attaining a maximum height of about 20 m. with a trunk diameter 

 up to 1.2 m., the stout branches spreading, sending down aerial roots which 

 sometimes reach the ground and form secondary trunks, the thick, nearly 

 smooth bark gray, the stout twigs yellow, glabrous. Leaves oblong or elliptic, 

 firm in texture, 5-10 cm. long, acute or short-acuminate at the apex, narrowed 

 or obtuse at the base, glabrous, the petioles 1-6 cm. long; figs obovoid, sessile 

 (rarely short-stalked), yellow or red, 6-15 mm. in diameter. 



Sandy and rocky soil, Abaco, Great Bahama, Berry Islands, Cat Cay, Andros, 

 New Providence. Eleuthera, Cat Island and Great Exuma : Florida ; Cuba ; His- 

 paniola ; Jamaica. GOLDEN WILD FIG. Erroneously called BANTAM. 



2. Ficus jacquinifolia A. Eich. in Sagra, Hist. Cub. 11: 221. 1850. 



A tree up to 15 m. high with a trunk 1 m. in diameter, usually much 

 smaller and sometimes shrubby, the smooth bark pale gray or nearly white, the 

 branches often emitting many aerial roots, the twigs slender, glabrous. Leaves 

 obovate to oblong, coriaceous, 2-6 cm. long, acute or rounded at the apex, nar- 

 rowed or obtuse at the base, glabrous, finely many-veined, the petioles 2-5 mm. 

 long; figs globose, in pairs or solitary, 3-5 mm. in diameter, on peduncles 2-4 

 mm. long, the ostiolum prominent. The leaves of shoots are sometimes con- 

 siderably larger than those of older branches. 



Coppice and pine-lands, Abaco, Great Bahama, Andros, Mangrove Cay, New 

 Providence and Cat Island : Cuba. Referred to F. pertusa L. f., by Hitchcock, 

 Dolley and Mrs. Northrop. SMALL-LEAVED WILD FIG. 



3. Ficus brevifolia Nutt. Sylva 2: 3. 1846. 



Ficus populnea bahamensis Warb. in Urban, Symb. Ant. 3: 473. 1903. 



A tree, reaching a maximum height of about 15 m. with a trunk up to 5 

 dm. thick, the branches spreading, the smooth bark brownish, the twigs slender, 

 glabrous, or sparingly pubescent when young. Leaves rather thin, glabrous, 

 ovate or oval, 3-10 cm. long, acute or obtuse at the apex, rounded or cordate 

 at the base, the slender petioles 1.5-4 cm. long; figs globose or globose-obovoid, 

 7-12 mm. in diameter, on peduncles 4-20 mm. long, red when mature, the 

 ostiolum not prominent. 



Rocky and sandy soil, throughout the archipelago from Abaco and Great Ba- 

 hama to Andros, Caicos Islands and Inagua : Florida ; Cuba : Santo Domingo. 

 Closely related to F. laevigata Vahl, of Porto Rico and the Lesser Antilles, to 

 which species it was referred by Hitchcock ; recorded by Mrs. Northrop as F. 

 pednnculata Willd. SHORT-LEAVED WILD Flo. Catesby 2 : App. pi. 18. 



Family 3. URTICACEAE Rchb. 

 NETTLE FAMILY. 



Herbs (some tropical species shrubs or trees), with watery sap, mostly 

 stipulate simple leaves, and small greenish dioecious, monoecious or poly- 

 gamous flowers, variously clustered. Calyx 2^5-cleft, or of distinct sepals. 

 Petals none. Stamens in the staminate flowers as many as the lobes or 

 segments of the calyx (sepals) and opposite them, the filaments inflexed 

 and anthers reversed in the bud, straightening at anthesis. Ovary superior, 

 1-celled; style simple; ovule solitary, erect or ascending, orthotropous, OT 



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