THE BOTANY OF CHRISTMAS ISLAND. 227 



oblong or elliptic blunt or rounded at the tip or suba- 

 cute, base cuneate 2-3 inches long 1-1^ wide. Figs 

 globose as big as small peas, green. The flowers are 

 mostly distinctly pedicellate. 



Common over the whole island. Fine trees occur 

 about Hying Fish Cove and on the Plateau, and also 

 near the Waterfall. It is very abundant too on 

 Steep rock. 



Distribution India, Assam, Burmah, Malay Peninsula 

 and Islands, Philippines, South China, New Caledonia 

 and Australia. The var nitida India, Burma and Malay 

 region. 



Sir George King describes it as having " a few aerial 

 roots " but it produces very many of large size. 



F. saxophila, Bl. 



A short stout much branched tree about 20 feet tall. 

 Leaves quite glabrous thinly coriaceous ovate cordate 

 at the base and subacute or blunt at the tip 5 inches 

 long 3 inches wide, petiole 3 inches long. Figs cluster- 

 ed in the upper axils sessile half an inch long, yellow or 

 crimson scarlet shortly beaked, bracts ovate pubescent. 

 Achenes keeled or angled fusiform dark red. Female 

 flowers with 4 lanceolate acute narrow sepals. 



On Andrew's Look-out, and also on steep rock, and 

 about Flying Fish Cove, on rocks. 



This differs from F. saxophila of King's Annals of 

 Calcutta Garden vol. I. p. 17, pis 12 and 8. in the 

 blunter leaves, much larger figs, and the bracts being 

 pubescent which he does not mention, but he says that 

 the plant is not well represented in herbaria. It is 

 however doubtless the plant intended by Blume. 



Distribution Java Timor and Buru. The fruits in the 

 tree at Andrew's Lookout though apparently ripe were 

 yellow, those at Steep Rock of a brilliant red. 



R. A.Soc, No. 45, 1905. 



