4 
SMALL FRUITED FIG-TREE. 
FICUS AUREA, glabra , foliis integerrimis ellipticis subacu~ 
minatis acutiusculis basi plerisque angustatis penniner- 
viis brevi-petiolatis,fructibus globosis geminatis sessilibus 
involucratis , involucris subtrijidis majusculis. 
l atifoliAj foliis lato-ovatis sub ellipticis. 
This species, according to its discoverer, Dr. Blod- 
gett, becomes at Key West, in East Florida, a large 
tree, at first parasitical on other trees, but destroying 
its supporter, it at length reaches the ground and forms 
an independent trunk of large dimensions. It bears, 
however, a very insignificant fruit, only about the size 
of a pea, and orange-yellow when ripe. 
The branches are covered with a whitish bark. The 
leaves 3 to 4<i inches long, are from lj to 2J broad; 
the peduncles are about an inch in length. The form 
of the leaves are almost similar with those of the Orange, 
elliptic and narrower below, with a rounded summit, 
and a very short, rather acute, projecting point or 
acumination, they are dark green above, paler beneath, 
with conspicuous feathered nerves which run together 
within the margin. The figs are sessile, clustered by 
pairs, with a small valvular orifice, and are nearly half 
embraced by the sheathing, bifid or trifid, one-sided 
involucrum. 
This species appears to be very nearly allied to the 
F. martinicensis of Willdenow, (the F. laurifolia of La- 
marck,) but we can by no means reconcile it to Sloane’s 
figure, (Hist. Jam. t. 223,) for in that species the leaves 
are lanceolate, and 8 or 9 inches long, by 2 wide, on 
