600 C. HORACES [Ficus_ 



on which the fig has germinated, often coalescing into a niore or less complete 

 hollow cylinder. Eventually the support is often killed by the more powerful 

 foliage of the Ficus. L. mostly alternate, entire, coriaceous, glabrous or hairy, 

 never rough, stipules broad, as a rule minutely hairy, stipular scars annular. 

 Receptacles mostly sessile, in pairs, axillary or above the scars of fallen l.,each 

 supported by 3 basal bracts. 



A. Sec. n. prominent, distant, not more than 16 pair. 



(a) petioles short, less than one-third the length of blade. 



a. Mature 1. glabrous. 



4. F. bengalensis, Linn. ; King, Ann. i. t. 13. — Syn. F. indica, Roxb. ; 

 .Urostigma bengalense, Gasp. ; Wight Ic. t. 1989 ; Banyan. Sans. Vata, 

 Vern. Bor, Bar, Bargat, Hind. ; Wad, Mar. ; Mavri, Tel. : Ala', Tarn. ; Alada, 

 Kan. ; Piji nyaung, Burm. 



A large tree, branches spreading, sending down to the ground numerous 

 aerial roots, which afterwards become trunks. Young shoots pubescent, 1. 

 glabrous when mature, approximate near the ends of branches, ovate, mostly 

 obtuse, base cordate or rounded, basal n. 3-5, the midrib with 4-6 pair of sec. n. ; 

 blade 4-8, pet. 1-2 in. Er. globose, pubescent, J-§ iu. diam., sessile, scarlet 

 when ripe, supported by 2-4 broad obtuse bracts. 



Indigenous in the subhimalayan tract and the "Western Peninsula. Commonly planted 

 by Hindoos throughout India as far north as Peshawar and in the Outer Himalaya as 

 high as 4,000 ft. Iteuryan trees often have a crown 3-500 ft. in diam., supported by 

 numerous often more than 100 root-drops. Fr. Apr.-June. 5. F. altissima, Blume ; 

 King, Ann. i. t. 30, 31. — Syn. F. laccifera, Boxb. ; Wight Ic. t. 656. Outer Himalaya, 

 from Nepal eastwards, ascending to 3,000 ft. Assam. Khasi hills. Chittagong. 

 Andamans. Lower Burma. — Ceylon. Malay Penins. and Archip. China. A tall 

 tree, aerial roots few r , young shoots and outside of stipules minutely hairy, otherwise 

 quite glabrous. L. elliptic, sometimes ovate, base rounded, blade 4-7, pet. stout, 

 channelled, 1-2 in., stipules 1-2 in. long. Pr. sessile, ovoid, f-1 in. long, red or yellowish 

 when ripe. 



6. F. Beddomei, King, Ann. i. t. 24. — Syn. F. Rama Varnue, Bonrdillon in Journal 

 Bombay Natural History Society xiii. 155. Tinnevelli and Travancore hills, in ever- 

 green forests, 1-4,000 ft. A large tree, wholly glabrous, trunk irregularly shaped, 

 branches wide spreading. L. shining, dark green when old, pale when young, broad- 

 ovate, shortly acuminate, blade 6-12, pet. 1-4 in., sec. n. 12-16 pair, the lowest pair 

 basal, stipules golden yellow, often several in. long. Anthers sessile. Pr. ovoid or 

 subglobose, 1 iu. long, with several more or less distinct vertical ridges, green with 

 yellow spots when ripe, basal bracts 3, small, peduncles up to 1 in. long. 7. F. travan- 

 corica, King, Ann. i. t. 26. North Travancore hills, 3,500 ft. A straggling shrub, 1. 

 lanceolate, base cuneate, blade 5-6, pet. |-§ in. Pr. globose i in. diam., peduncle 

 shorter than fr. 



8. F. globosa, Blume ; King, Ann. i. t. 25. — Syn. F. onusta, "Wall. Tenasserim, Kurz. 

 A large climber, 1. elliptic-oblong, shortly cuspidate, blade 3-7, pet. J-li in., see. n. 

 7-10 pair, the lowest basal, stipules up to 2J in. long. Fr. almost turbinate, J-l in. 

 diam., peduncle short. 



9. F. glaberrima, Blume ; King, Ann. i. t. 43. — Syn. F. Th.om.soni, Miq. Vern. KaWiri, 

 Durla, Hind. Subhimalayan tract, ascending to 2,000 ft., from the Jumna eastwards. 

 Khasi hills. Chittagong. Meplay forest, Tenasserim (D.B. March 1862"). Andamans. 

 — Malay Archip. A large tree, at times a large epiphytic shrub (D.B. Kotri Dun, 

 Garhwal, March 1881). As a rule quite glabrous, minute hairs sometimes on young 

 shoots, 1. and peduncles, L. oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, base usually acute, blade 

 5-7, pet. l—li i n . long, sec. n. S-10 pair, at an angle of 80° to the midrib, the lowest 

 pair basal, running near the edge of 1. Fr. J in. diam., orange-coloured when ripe, 

 basal bracts deciduous, peduncle slender, as long as fr. 10. F. Hookeri, Miq. ; King, 

 Ann. i. t. 42. Sikkim, lower hills. Khasi hills. Glabrous, 1. broad-elliptic, blade 

 6-12, pet. 2^3 in., sec. n. 8-10 pair, the lowest pair from the base, stipules tij> to 4 in. 

 long, caducous. Fr. sessile, ^-1 in. diam., the lower third in an entire cartilaginous 

 cup, consisting of the connate basal bracts. 



11. F. nervosa, Both: King, Ann. i. t. 65. Vern. Icha, Mai.; Nyaung peimie, 

 Burm. Assam. Cachar. Chittagong. Lower Burma. Chutia Nagpur. Bampa 

 hills, Godavari. Evergreen forests of the "Western coast, ascending to 3,000 ft., 

 from North Kanara southwards.— Malay Penins. and Archip. China. A very large , 

 umbrageous tree, in a dry climate smaller, trunk cylindric, no aerial roots, young 



