368 
Transactions of the Boyal Society of South Africa. 
" The tree spreads in a peculiar Eoanner. Sorae of the branches from 
the centre spread out laterally in a radial direction and gradually droop 
towards the ground. At a distance of about 30 feet they come into 
contact with it and send out roots from which new groups of stems arise. 
From these other branches may be given off, still in the same radial 
direction, and these coming in contact with the ground may become 
rooted, in their turn, and send up a third group of stems. 
From measurements made on the spot we found an inner ring of 
nine groups of stems surrounding the main central mass, three of them 
still connected to it by their drooping branches. The circumference of 
the central mass of stem is 81 feet, and the second group forms approxi- 
mately a circle at an average distance of about 30 feet. Beyond the ring 
there were three other groups at a distance of about 25 feet from the out- 
side of the ring still connected by the branches from which they had 
originated." 
While recently working over some South African material of the genus 
Ficus, I have been able to identify from the descriptions and illustrations 
some of Mr. T. E. Sim's Portuguese East African species with species 
which occur in extra-tropical South Africa. The following species are 
described and figured in the " Forest Flora and Forest Eesources of 
Portuguese East Africa," by T. E. Sim, F.L.S. ; Aberdeen, 1909:— 
F. howardiana, Sim, occurs sparingly in Swaziland, and at Nelspruit, 
Transvaal. It is No. 176 of my list of Native Trees of the Transvaal. 
F. picta, Sim, agrees well with F. soldanella, Warb., a species found 
in similar situations along the Magaliesberg. 
F. montana, Sim, is F. Sonderi, Miq., also met with in Natal (Camper- 
down) and Bechuanaland. 
F. umhrosa, Sim, resembles in its remarkable foliage a species which 
grows sparingly on the Berea at Durban, but which differs in some par- 
ticulars from Mr. Sim's description, as pointed out to me by Miss Franks, 
who has been watching the tree during the present season, and has 
recently been able to obtain fruiting material ; it may prove to be a 
distinct species, but further investigation is needed. 
F. utilis, Sim, appears to be the tree which was formerly planted 
so extensively as a street tree in the lower parts of Durban, but whether 
indigenous to Natal or introduced from farther north, no one seems 
to know. 
