334 TREES OF NORTH AMERICA 



CONSPECTUS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN SPECIES. 



Receptacles subglobose, sessile or short-stalked; leaves oblong, usually pointed at the 

 ends. i. F. aurea (D). 



Receptacles obovoid, long-stalked; leaves broadly ovate, cordate at base. 



2. F. brevifolia (D). 



1. Ficus aurea Nutt. Wild Fig. 



Leaves oblong, usually narrowed at the ends, acute or acuminate, with a short broad 

 point at apex, cuneate or rarely broad and rounded at base, 2'-5' long, l|'-3' wide, thick 

 and coriaceous, dark yellow-green and lustrous above, paler and less lustrous below, with 



Fig. 303 



a broad light yellow midrib slightly grooved on the upper side, and numerous obscure 

 primary veins arcuate and united near the margins and connected by fine closely reticu- 

 lated veinlets, continuing to unfold during a large part of the year; usually falling during 

 their second season; petioles stout, slightly grooved, '-!' in length; stipules ovate-lance- 

 olate, thick, firm, tinged with red, about 1' long. Flowers: receptacles developing in 

 succession as the branch lengthens, subglobose, sessile or short-stalked, solitary or in 

 pairs, the orifice lateral closed and marked by a small point formed by the union of the 

 minute bracts, becoming ' in diameter and yellow when fully grown, ultimately turning 

 bright red; flowers reddish purple, separated by minute reddish chaff-like scales more or 

 less laciniate at apex, sessile or long-pedicellate; calyx of the staminate flower divided to 

 below the middle into 2 or 3 broad lobes rather shorter than the stout flattened filaments; 

 lobes of the anther oblong, attached laterally to the broad connective; calyx of the pistillate 

 flower divided to the middle into 4 or 5 narrow lobes, closely investing the ovate sessile 

 ovary. Fruit ovoid, immersed in the thickened reddish purple walls of the receptacle; 

 seed ovoid, rounded at the ends, with a thin light brown coat and a large lateral oblong 

 pale hilum. 



A broad round-topped epiphytal tree, 50-60 high, germinating and growing at first 

 on the branches and trunks of other trees and sending down to the ground stout aerial 

 roots which gradually growing together form a trunk often 3-4 in diameter, the growth 

 of additional roots from the branches extending the tree over a large area, and terete 

 pithy light orange-colored branchlets marked by pale lenticels, conspicuous stipular 

 scars, large slightly elevated horizontal oval leaf-scars displaying a marginal ring of large 

 pale fibro-vascular bundle-scars, and smaller elevated concave circular scars left by the 



