MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 



891 



only stems of 15 to 25 years old that are seen in this state ; for after this, 

 most trees become fertile and are tapped either for toddy or exploited for 

 fruit. To facilitate climbing up the bole therefore the sheaths are usually 

 at this period removed, if the tree be a female and good fruit bearer, or a 

 male and good toddy producer. The seeds once so deposited in the axils 

 of the foot stalks germinate, and the Ficus, whose roots are epiphytic in 

 habit, proceeds to extend the latter in Octopus like fashion downwards in 

 all directions until the thin strands encircling the base form such a close 

 network that they cohere, forming a thin plaster as it were, almost entirely 

 concealing the black cylindrical trunk of the Palmyra. An illustration of 

 such a case will be seen in Photograph II. 



No. II. 

 Here, as will be observed, the roots of the Ficus (in this case the tree is 

 the common Banyan {Ficus bengalensis, Linn.) have not completely concealed 

 the Palmyra trunk. Until such roots reach the ground, very little, if any, 

 vegetative activity of the plant is maintained upwards, i.e., few, if any, leaves 

 are borne on the stem. All, or mostly all, the vegetative activity and 

 energy are displayed in a downward direction to reach the moist earth ; 

 and when the latter has been attained, the Ficus begins to grow with 

 increased vigour upwards and downwards and to completely embrace the 

 stem. In a few years, under such circumstances, the sight presents itself 

 of the Palmyra trunk being completely concealed and the Palmyra tree 

 ultimately appears to be growing out of the centre of a Banyan (as in 



