FIG TREE. 
POLYGAMIA TRIOECIA. 
GENERIC CHARACTER. 
Male. Calyx divided into three parts. 
Corolla none. 
Female. Calyx of five divisions. 
Corolla none. 
The male flowers are situated near the top of the 
fig, just under the eye ; the females within the 
body of the fruit, where each produces a small 
flattish seed. 
SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 
Ficus cahica. F. foliis palmatis. Linn. Spec. Plant, ed. tert. 
p. 1513. 
Leaves hand- shaped. 
Ficus communis. Bauh. Pin. 457. 
Ficus. Dod. Pempt. 812. 
Ficus humilis. Bauh. Pin. 45?. 
Common Fig. Duhamel, Traite des Arlres, 1 . p. 235. pi. QQ. 
The fig is a striking instance of that contrivance 
which Nature occasionally employs for the con- 
tinuation of her species. We were for a long 
time unacquainted with the manner in which these 
