Plants Collected in Paraguay. 229 



soft pubescent beneath, the largest about 10 cm. long and 4 cm. 

 wide, on petioles about 5 mm. long. Flowers greenish, very small, 

 in short cymes along the branches, polygamous. Fruit a small 

 yellow 1-celled, 1-seeded drupe 



This tree generally grows in open fields, and bears croAvded 

 branches and leaves. It is ungraceful in appearance. 



jnoriis allia, L., Sp. PL, 986. 



Asuncion (*787). 



One of the many forms of the white mulberry, bearing dark purple 

 fruit. Not a native of Paraguay, but introduced and growing freely 

 into a fine large tree. Like most other people, the Paraguayans have 

 tried experiments in manufacturing silk, and this tree was intro- 

 duced for the purpose of feeding the silk-worm, but a manufacture 

 of that kind, even if all the requisite means were easy to be obtained, 

 would never suit such an indolent, unenterprising race, and the 

 industry soon perished. Some of the trees, however, are left and 

 are found here and there in the country. In fruit August. 



FiCUS Radula (Miq.), Morong. 



Pharmacosycia Radula, Miq. in Hook. Lond. Jour. Bot., vii, 64. 



Asuncion (245). 



A noble tree, often growing nearly 25 m. in height. Bark gray- 

 ish, very smooth. Leaves alternate, simple, entire, coriaceous, 

 glabrous on both sides, oval, entire, the margins slightly revolute, 

 abruptly acute at the apex, narrowed at the base, the blades 8-18 

 cm. long and 5-8 cm. broad ; petioles l-|-5 cm. long. Keceptacle 

 on a short peduncle, about the size of a pea, becoming in fruit a 

 syconium nearly 2 cm. in diameter, and filled with small white 

 seeds which are marked with a prominent raphe. The wood is 

 hard, and the whole tree abounds with milk, which often exudes 

 copiously of its own accord in the hot sunshine. Once when botan- 

 izing in the woods near Asuncion I heard the pattering of what 

 seemed to be rain-drops. Surprised at this, as the sun was shining 

 brightly, I followed the sound, and found that the noise proceeded 

 from milk-drops, falling one by one from this tree. The ground 

 was fairly white beneath its boughs. Fruit only found. Decem- 

 ber-January. 



Ficiis, Sp. 



Asuncion (1550). = Balansa 1986. 

 Foliage only collected. 



