284 FOREST TREES. 



551 FicuS Tjakela, BjJ'BM.Kan. Seluvarada mara, Kap 



basTiri ? 



Fig— King. Fic. PI 70. 



A tall glabrous tree witiiotit aerial roots. Not 

 very common on the Mysore plateau, and mostly 

 confined to tlie Hills. Frequently seen in the 

 Kankanhalli jungle. 



Leaves long petiolate, coriaceous, glossy and 

 sMning on the upper surface, dark green, oval to 

 ovate, acute, average blade 3 x 6 in. Fruit in clusters 

 of 2 — 6 on very short tubercles, depressed globular, 

 the size of a red currant, whitish yellow, dotted 

 when ripe. Although closely allied to F. infedoria. 

 Dr. King remarks that " this is a very distinct and 

 beautiful species distinguishable from infedm'ia, by 

 its minute receptacles m clusters of 4' — 6. " Food 

 is served upon the leaves, and the root-bark is 

 medicinal, but with these exceptions the local uses 

 of the species are unknown. Judging from its 

 habitat in the hill forests the tree is evergreen, and 

 the vernacular word leap has possibly reference to 

 the dark-green tint of the foliage. 



552 Ficus Tslela, Roxb. Kan. Bili basuri. 



Tig.-King. Fie. PI. 74; Wight Ic. t 668. 



References.— Fl. of Brit. Ind. ; Diet, of Econ. 

 Prod, of Ind. 



Common throughout the maidan, and at the sides 

 of all the principal roads in Mysore ; also ascending 

 the hiUs to 4,000 feet. A large evergreen or sub- 

 deciduous tree without aerial roots. Limbs often 

 crooked or contorted; branchlets frequently 

 fascicled so as to produce dense tufts of abnormally 

 small leaves. These tufts are occasionally mistaken 

 for the parasite ^ac^aml-e. — Loranthus longiflorus — 

 and are yqtj character] - tic of the species. Leaves 

 long petiolate,*coriaceous, glabrous, very variable in 

 size and form,. but mostly „ ovate lanceolate, with a 



