378 
FEUILLEA 
Feuillea Gled. = Fevillea Linn. 
FeviUea Linn. Cucurbitaceae (i). 6 sp. trop. Am. The 5 sta. are all 
alike. 
Fibigia Medic. = Farsetia Turra. 
Ficaria (Dill.) Hall = Ranunculus Linn. 
Ficoidales (Benth. -Hooker). The 14th cohort of Polypetalae (p. 134). 
Ficoideae (Benth. -Hooker) = Aizoaceae. 
Ficus Toum. ex Linn. Moraceae (11). 600 sp. trop., chiefly in E. Ind. 
and Polynes., &c. A very important genus of trees and shrubs of 
the most various habit. In general they possess alternate entire leaves, 
with stipules which envelope the bud (acting as a protection to it 
against heat, &c.) and soon after their unfolding drop off altogether. 
Adventitious roots are very common. The simplest way, perhaps, 
of dealing with the great variety of form will be to consider one by 
one some of the commonest sp. 
F. elastica Roxb., the indiarubber tree, usually grows as a stout 
independent tree, but sometimes epiphytically like F. benjamina , 
reaching often very considerable dimensions. At its base (see figs, in 
Nat . PJi.) are developed buttress-roots, radiating out in all directions ; 
their depth is often several feet, while their thickness is only a few 
inches. From the branches are given off adventitious roots which 
grow downwards, enter the soil, branch out, and suck up nourish- 
ment. These grow in thickness and form great pillars supporting the 
branches. The leaves are entire, and leathery in texture, with a 
glossy surface which refuses to be wetted ; their apex is not provided 
with a ‘drip-tip’ (see F. religiosa , below). The stipules protect the 
bud. Caoutchouc is obtained from the latex by cutting notches in 
the tree bark after it is at least 25 years old. 
F. indica L. and F. benghalensis L. show similar habit. The latter 
is the famous banyan tree. Its aerial roots form supporting pillars, 
and, if allowed to establish them freely, the tree may reach immense 
size, covering a great area. (It is sacred in India, and the roots are 
provided with tubes of bamboo to protect them, and the ground is 
prepared for them.) See plate in Nat. PfL. 
F. religiosa L. (the Peepul or Bo-tree) is similar, but its leaves have 
a long acuminate apex, combined with an easily wetted surface. 
From the apex the rain drips off rapidly after a shower and the leaf is 
soon dry. In the very wet tropical forests of E. India, &c., this pro- 
perty is of some importance to the plant (see Stahl, Regenfall und 
Blattgestalt, Ann. Buitenz. 1893, or abstract by Miss Lorrain Smith 
in Nat. Science, 1893). 
F. Sycomorus L., the true sycomore or mulberry fig, and F. Carica 
L. the fig, are also erect trees. 
F. repens Rottl. is a small climbing sp. which takes hold of its 
support by aerial roots (as in ivy) ; these secrete a gummy substance 
containing caoutchouc, and then absorb the fluid constituents, leaving 
