122 CHINESE ECONOMIC TREES 



fig; other species of Ficus, particularly F. retusa Linn, known as Banyans, 

 become large trees. The arborescent genera occurring in China are: 

 Morus, Broussonetia, Ficus and Cudrania. 



The Chinese species of Ficus need thorough study and revision. 

 Although some members attain a large size and are prominent features in 

 the landscape, especially in the vicinities of villages in S. China, they 

 are of little economic importance, producing wood of no value, and their 

 description will be omitted in this work, but for the sake of completeness 

 the distinguishing characters of the genus are included in the following key. 



Most members of this family may be recognized by the alternate leaves 

 and by the milky sap which the bark exudes when cut. 



KEY TO GENERA 



A. Flowers on the outside of the receptacle; buds scaly. 



I. Anthers reversed with incurved filaments in the bud. 



a. Both staminate and pistillate flowers in spikes; compound 

 fruit oblong and succulent Morus. 



b. Pistillate flower capitate; compound fruit composed of 



numerous druplets protruding from a globose head 



Broussonetia. 



II. Anthers erect even in the bud, pistillate flower in a globose head ; 

 fruit globose in a hard, rather smooth rind Cudrania. 



B. Flowers enclosed in a fleshy receptacle becoming a succulent sub- 

 globose or ovoid or pyriform compound fruit {Ficus.) 



MORUS 



Deciduous trees or shrubs. Leaves simple, stalked, serrate, entire 

 or variously lobed, palmately 3-5 veined. Flowers apetalous, dioecious 

 or monoecious, in solitary catkins; staminate spike elongated, calyx 4 

 lobed, partially enclosing the 4 stamens which uncoil like a spring when 

 the pollen is shed. Pistillate spike, short; ovary sessile, 1 celled; style 

 divided nearly to the base into 2 stigmas ; each ovary enclosed in the 

 calyx which becomes thick and fleshy, surrounding the real 'fruit which 

 is a compressed achene. The fleshy covering of the achenes cohere, 

 forming a multiple fruit, not unlike the blackberry in appearance. The 

 fruit is sweet and edible. 



