

IS 



UROSTTGMA. 



13. Ficus bengalensis, Linn. Hort. Cliff. 471. n. 4; Spec. Plant ed. 2. ii. 1514: 



Spec. Plant, eel. Willcl. iv. 1135 ; Amoen. ed. 3. i. 29. n. 10 ; OommeL Hort 

 Amst. i. 119. t. 62; Beddome Fl. Sylv. 222; Brandts For. Flora 412 ; Kurt 

 For. Flora Brit. Bum. ii. 440 ; Miq. in Ann Mm. Lugd. Bat iii. 285. 

 JJrost. Bengnlense, Gasp. Rie. 82. t. viii. 14 to 21 ; Wight Ic. 1989; Miq 

 in Lond. Journ. Bot. vi. 572; Dalz. and Gibs. Bombay Flora 240. 

 F. Indica, Linn. Amoen., ed. 3. i. 27. n. 6 (excl. 7 and 8, and syn. Katou 

 alou, Rheede) ; Roxb. Fl. Ind. iii. 539 ; Graham, Plants Bombay, 189. 

 n. 1355; Hook. Journ. Bot. 1841, 284 to 292. t. 13, 14.— F. Americana, 

 Pluk. Phyt. t. 178. fig. l.~Peralu, Rheede Hort. Malab. i. t. 28 ; Ham. in 



Linn. Trans, xiii. 489. — Vuta, Asiat. Researches iv. 310; Wall. Cat. 4560 

 (in part). 



A large spreading tree, with many aerial roots, the young parts softly pubescent • leave 



coriaceous, petiolate, ovate, ovate-rotund to elliptic, with a blunt apex, entire edo-es and 



&~"> 



rounded sub-cordate or slightly narrowed 3- to 7-nerved base ; lateral primary nerves about 

 5 pairs, prominent; under surface glabrous or minutely pubescent, the reticulations distinct 

 upper surface glabrescent; length 4 to 8 in., breadth 2 to 5 in. ; petioles -5 to 2 

 stout ; stipules -75 to 1 in., coriaceous ; receptacles sessile, in pairs, axillary, globular, puber 



y 



m. long, 



ulo««, 



1, and about the size of a small cherry when ripe, with 3 broad rounded 



, wunu^u, 



.... - , 7 spreading, 



nearly glabrous, coriaceous basal bracts : male flowers rather numerous near the mouth i .f 

 the receptacles, the perianth of 4 rather broad pieces; stamen 1 ; gall flowers with a similar 

 perianth, the style short: fertile females with shorter perianth and elongated style 



An enormous tree, 70 to 100 ft. high, sending down roots from the "branches, which enter 

 the ground and form trunks, thus extending the growth of the tree indefinitely. Commonly 

 planted m a 11 parts of the plains of India; but really wild only in the sub- Himalayan foresi 

 and on the lower slopes of *he hill ranges of Southern India. Known to European, as the 

 banyan, and to natives of India under a variety of names. 



In this species the tendency to send down aerial roots from the branches 



lies its 



highest development. The great banyan of the Botanic Garden, Calcutta, now (18801 'bout a 

 hundred years old, has 232 of these aerial roots, all reaching the ground and forming ancillary 



and , from its habit , of sending down neJroots every ^JLl^S^SSi 

 not go on increasing mdefinitely, even after the central trunk shall have decay, 1 As" 

 larger spectmen extsts at Mhasve, Taluka Jaoli, in the Satara rillah! TSb BomW 

 presidency, for the measurements of which I am indebted to Mr. Lee Warner fZ 

 Bombay Civil Service. Mr. Warner describes this tree and its exact *^3b. 



The circumference of the le'f y head of CZinlTimtTVl ^^ ^^ - 1 ° f W 

 "'*•'■ • • 100<! ls L087 ft. : its length from north to south ' 



ft. and from east to west 442 ft 



«•■•» it. aim rrom east to west 442 ft. The last two mea ""'gin irom nortn to soutli is 



all round, and as a fact it looks scracgy i n p i ace3 as it T^T* , that the tree is n°* equally well grown 



__ , . ' een Ieft entirel y without special protection. 



The banyan is an object of veneration amongst Hindoos 

 especially near temples and shrines ^inuoos 



ly near temples and shrines. No good KffinZ ,', T,f 1 ""^ planted hj th 



ally lopped even by high-caste Hind™ * ' a banyan ' but bnmclieS 



7 „* caste Hindoos for various purposes. By the Mussalmam 



By the Mussalmans of 



