BOTANY OF BIHAR AND ORISSA

370 125. MORACE/E. [8. FICUS.
IndIgenous in the Lower Himalaya not far from our area, but not within it.
Frequently cultivated for ornalnent but of very different appearance from the
large mdlgenous trees, which often start life some 50 ft. above the ground, from
which height the aenal roots run down the trunk of the host to the ground and
gradually enclose it.
The leaves on fruitmg branches are often' much smaller than the normal and the
leaf-scales and supules of unhealthy trees often fall off when only 3-4" long The
hooded involucral bracts whIch are connate and Clrcumscissile above the base arc
peculiar but not unique; the cup left after the fall IS someumes toothed.
This IS the source of the true "india-rubber" which IS chiefly obtained by
tappmg the large aerial roots.
4_ F_ glaberrima, Blume.
A small tree (tall in the Hllualaya) with rather scanty latex. Leaves
oblong glossy chartaceous'5-10" long, shortly acuminate, with rounded
or cuneate 3-nerved base, translucent-dotted when fresh; sec. n. rather
distant, 7-10, spreading, raised beneath, looping nor far from margin,
reticulate between. Petiole 5- 15". Recepts '25" diam. globose,
pedicelled, orange-coloured when ripe, sometimes verrucose when young,
basal bracts 3 caducous.
Along streams in the Sameshwar HIlls! Fr. Jan.-March.
Bark tough and stringy, pale on the branchlets which and the young leaves
beneath are said to be puberulous (Kmg. They are glabrous in my specimens).
Stipules glabrous '5-75". "Male sepals 4, lanceolate, subsesslle. Gall fl. seSSIle
or shortly stoutly pedicelled, perianth 4-c1eft. Fern. fl when ripe with viscid
achenes and no perianth," F.B.I. The bracts at the base of recept appear to
be hooded over the recept when very young but only show as scars at the
expanded top of the pedicels in the later stages. Base of recept rarely shortly
stipitate above thIS expanded top of pedIcel and in some Sikkim specimens
haIry.
5. F. glabella, Blume Put]m 1, K.
A small or mod.-sized tree with oblong or ovate-oblong suddenly
acuminate or caudate not very shining leaves 2'5-35" or sometimes
up to 5 51/ by 21/, base rounded or obtuse, sec. n. 10-14 spreading, as
strong as the two short lateral basal nerves, very closely and beautifully
reticulate between and between the fine loops of the secondaries and the
cartilaginous margin, reticulations raised both sides when dry. Petiole
'3- 751/ glabrous. Recepts globose or somewhat pyriform pedicelled
'25-'41/ diam., depressed globose, slightly or prominently umbonate
(ostiole often however perforate like other figs after escape of the fig
wasps), white, pink or blue, ofren verrucose, usually many, paired from
the old leafaxils, some also from current leaf-axils Basal bracts (at
top of pedicel) not sunk in the base, membranous, broadly ovate, or
triangular, sometimes deciduous.
Rocky ravines in the mountains. Smgbhum! Ranchi and Palamau, Neterhat,
3000 ft' Recepts ripen April-June. Top of Mailagiri HIll, Bonai, Cooper!
Cooper's specimen was from a very bushy tree of about 3 ft. girth, with very
nodose branchlets, small leaves 1'5-25" only and pisiform recepts with caducous
bracts. All our specimens have pedlcelled recepts and are apparently var. atfinzs.
F.B.I. Blume describes his glabella as WIth recepts seSSIle. The pedicels are
'1-,2" only and slender
Aerial roots have not been observed. Buds sometimes puberulous. Stipules
-1-'3".