



NEOMOEPHE. 



171 



NewG 



) 



Sig> Beccari (Herb. Becc. No. 601) 



This vies with i* Bozburghu in having the largest leaves and receptacles of any 



Asiatic member of the genus Ficus 



Plate 2U-F grandis, King. 1, part of leafy branch; 2, reccptacular branch 



mature receptacles ; 3, a stipule-o/ natural size ; 4, an umbilical scale; 5 & male flowo! 



with 1 and 2 stamens ; 7, the 3 pieces of the male perianth separated ; 8, pedicellate 

 flower: enlarged. 



th 



g 



199. Ficus pomipera, Wall. Cat. 4547.— F. Eamiltoniana, Wall. 4545 A. ('< F. poly 



carpa, Herb. Ham. non Roxb.").— F. oligodon, Miq. in Ann. Mus. Lugd. Bat 

 iii. 2.34, 297. —.F. regia, Miq. in Ann. Mus. Lugd. Bat. iii. 230, 296 (partly) 

 Kurz For. Flora Brit. Burmah ii. 458. 



A tree, often 60 ft. high, with narrow (not spreading) head and smooth white bark ■ 

 the young branches pubescent. Leaves lanceolate, elliptic, or sub-obovate-elliptic, with acute 

 or sub-acuminate apex, coarsely, rather remotely and irregularly serrate edges and founded 

 or sub-cuneate (but never cordate), 3- to 5-nerved base; lateral primary nerves about 4 or 5 

 pairs; intermediate nerves sub-transverse, little curved, thin, but prominent below reticu- 

 lations rather lax, not very distinct; under surface minutely papillose, puberulous or glabrous • 

 upper surface puberulous when young, ultimately glabrous; length 45 to 8 in.; petiole* 

 pubescent, 1*5 to 3*5 in. long; stipules ovate-lanceolate, pubescent or glabrous; -5 to •?•"> in. 

 long. Receptacles long-pedunculate, on very much shortened, leafless branches or tubcrch s 

 from the main stem and larger branches ; sub-globular or sub-pyriform, often witli depre 1 

 apex ; pubescent, with 4 to 6 vertical grooves ; sometimes verrucose ; umbilicus rather prominent. 

 with large, ovate-rounded, pubescent scales; basal bracts 3, ovate-acute; when ripe reddish 

 in colour and 1 in. or rather more in diameter ; peduncles 1 to 2*5 in. long, puberulous, or 

 glabrous. Male flowers near the mouth of the receptacles containing gull flowers, not 

 numerous, pedicellate, the pedicel often enveloped in a' loose, membranous bracteole; the 

 perianth of 3 large, loose, membranous pieces which completely enfold the anthers ; anthers 2. 

 curved, placed face to face. Gall flowers pedicellate; the perianth gamophyllous, 3-toothed, 

 often completely enveloping the ovary; ovary ovoid, smooth; the style sbort, sub-termin il ; 

 stigma dilated. Fertile female flowers shortly pedicellate ; the periantb like that of the pill 

 flowers ; achene minutely papillose ; style long, lateral ; stigma clavate. 



Sikkim, Assam, Chittagong, Burmah, and Malayan Peninsula, at elevations of from 

 800 to 3,000 ft. 



The broader leaved forms of this have a general resemblance to F. Roxburghii, but this 

 is a tall tree with whitish grey bark, while Roxburghii is a low spreading tree with brown bark. 

 This, moreover, differs from Roxburghii in having smaller, more glabrous leaves, not cordate at 

 the base ; smaller, more globular, and less hairy receptacles on larger, more slender, peduncles. 

 The distribution of this species is further southward than that of Roxburghii. 



This reaches no further northward than Sikkim. Sheet B. of Wallich's type of 

 Hamiltoniana (No. 4545) is indeed doubtfully ascribed in his catalogue to Nepal; but I have no 

 doubt it was so ascribed by mistake, for there is no other evidence whatever of the occurrence 

 of this species in Nepal, and it is by no means common even in Sikkim. 



Plate 215.— F. pomifera, Wall. 1, a tubercle from the stem bearing a fascicle of nearly 

 mature receptacles ; 2, base of a receptacle ; 3 apex of the same ; 4, vertical section of the same 



Ann. Bot GUrd. Calc. Yol. 1. 



