Ö P^iLEOMOEPHE
^ Tins species resembles F. Decaisneana, but in that the leaves arc not so much papillose
as in this, tiud the receptacles of that are glabrous, while in this the receptaclos are pubescent;
in that there are no basal bracts, in this there ai-e 3 at the juuctioD of the constricted
part of the receptacle with the peduncle proper.
P l a t e 4.—Branch of F. adenospenna, Miq., with ripe receptacles. 1, receptacle; 2,
apex of the same ; 3, s t i p u l e s—o f natural size 4, male flower; 5, gall pistil and rudimentaryanther
within the same perianth; 6, insect-attacked ovary; 7, perianth of fertile female
tiower ; S, fertile achene : all cnlaryed.
5. Ficus AURiTA, Rcimo. Bl. Biß. 462 ; Miq. in Ann. Mus. Lund. Bat. iii. 274, 292.
A shrub, the yoking branches softly jmberulous; leaves almost sessile, oblong or elliptic,
slightly inequilateral, rather suddenly contracted at the apex into a long narrow tail nearly
an inch long; edges entire, slightly wavy; narrowed below the middle to the faintly 4-nerved
base, wliich is slightly auricled on the outer side, the auricle being decun-eut on the short petiole ;
primary lateral nerves 9 to 12 pairs, like the midrib prominent beneath and diverging from
the latter at rather a high angle; lower surface of a pale yellowish-gi-een when dried, softly
IKiberulous, the reticulations distinct, rather open; upper sm-face glabrous ; petiole tomentose,
only about -2 in. long; stipules lanceolate, convolute, jrabescent; receptacles in paii-s from the
axils of fallen leaves, shortly pedunculate, globose, apex slightly umbonate; when ripe smooth,
•25 in. across ; without basal bracts; peduncles about -V) iu. long; male flowers (only in receptacles
with gall flowers) with an irregularly 5-cleft perianth, 1 short, broad stamen and an
insect-attacked pistil ; perfect (fertile) achenes unknown.
A m b o i n a , — ; M o l u c c a s , [ f i d e Blume); New G - u i n e a ,—( f i d e
Miquel).
This s]Decies is verv badly represented in collections. In the Royal Herbarium at
Leiden there arc good fraiting specimens collected by Eeinwardt, and from one of these the
foregoing description was dI•a^vn up. In the 13uitenzorg Herbarium there are specimens
collected by Teysmann in Amboina. Miquel (yl««. Ä . U.) mentions specimens collected
in New Guinea by Zippel which he believes to belong to this. In IBlume's original description
the spccies is described as scandent, but it is probably sometimes epiphytal and sometimes
grows in the ground.
P l a t e 5.—Fruiting-branch nf F. auriia, Eeinw. 1, receptacle seen from the side; 2, apex
of the same; 3, stipules—all of natural size \ 4, male perianth; 5, stameri and insec*--attacked
pistil of male flowei': enlaryed.
0. Fictrs sunuLATA. Bl. Biß. 461 ; Miq. FL Ind. Bat. i. pL 2. 311 ; Avn Mus. Lugd.
Bat. iii 275. 292.—^. acuminata, Roxb Fl. Ind. iii. ó38 ; Wall. Cat. 4478.—
F. aneolana. JJiq. PI. Jungh. 03.—i*. virgafa, Reinw. (not of Hiq ) in
Bl. Bijd. 454,
A semi-scandent or straggling shrub, the young parts puberulous ; leaves sliurt-petiolate,
membranous, elliptic, elliptic-lanceolate, or sab-obovate-elliptic, sometimes slightly
inequilateral ; apex rather abruptly and shortly cu^ipidate ; edges entire, waved ; base acute
3-nerved (with occasionally several subsidiary nervolets); lateral jn-iiuary nerves 7 t.) 1()
pairs, rather prominent below ; in the adult leaves both surfaces are glabrous, dull when dry
the lower rather pale coloured; length uf blade 4-5 to 10 in.; petioles about -3 in. lontr'
stout, scaberulous ; stipules conspicuously convolute, subulate, curving away fr>,m tiie a.xis'
PALiEOMORPHE. y
usually more than tiiree times as long as the petiole. Receptacles axillary, short-pedunculate,
sometimes almost sessile, in pairs (solitary by abortion ) or in fascicles; those bearing male
flowers ovoid and with the umbilicus rather prominent, the umbilical bracts numerous; those
bearing fertile female flowers globose when ripe ; both forms scaberulous, obsoleti-ly verrucose,
orange-red, without basal bracts, but with a few bracts scattered irregularly along the sides ;
about '4 m. across ; peduncles short, with numerous bracteoles at their bases, male flowers
(occurring only in the ovoid receptacles with the gall flowers), the perianth thick, fleshy,
tubular, with 4 rather short teeth ; stamen 1, the anther broad, pistil globular, insect-attacked ;
gall flowers pedicillate, the perianth like that of the male, achene sub-globular, smooth, style
short, lateral, stigma capitate ; fertile female flowers (in globular receptacles in which there
are no male iîowers), the perianth hairy, gamophyllous, with 4 long teeth, achene obloDg,
style lateral, stigma elongate.
Fr<im Chittagong southward to the Malayan Archipelago, at elevations of from 1.000
to 4,500 ft. ; also in the Pliillippines and in Lo Fau Shau: presenting little variation
and readily recognised by tlio long, subulate, conTOlnto stipules, which always curve
away from the axis. Eoxbm-gh found tlie lanceolate-elliptic leaved form of this in Chit,
tagong and named it Jf. «cumimh. JliquoFs species i'. was ultimately reduced to
this by himself, but m my opinion it more resembles il fih/era, "VTall., to which I have
reduced it. F. mcohna of the same author is a luxuriant, rather broad-leaved form, which
in his final revision of the genus he himself reduced to this. 1. mrsata, Eeinw. {not of
Miq.), of which an authentic specimen e.xists in the Leiden Herbarium, appears to me
to be reducible here, as do some of the specimens (e.g. Oldham, For,uosa, 641) referred
by Maximowicz to F. insulario, Miq.
This is a truly dioecious species. Male flowers are found only in the ovoid receptacles,
and they lie, as usual, between the scales that close the mouth of tlie receptacle, the whole of
the rest of the interior being filled by insect-attacked female {i.e. gall) flowms, and the plants
bearing these ovoid receptacles are erect shr-ubs growing in the ground. Female flowers
producing fertile achenes, on the other hand, are found only in the globular receptaclos,
the entire interior of which they occupy, no trace whatever being found of a male flower!
Moreover, the plants bearing the round receptacles are semi-scandent epiphytes, not erect
shrubs growing in soil.
P l a t e %.-F. Mata, Bl. A.-Twig bearing receptacles which contain perfect male
and gall flowers. B.—Twig bearing fertile female flowers : of natural size.
1, male flower, containing 1 stamen and 1 insect-attacked pistil ; 3 & 3, perianth of female
flower; unripe aclicne; 5, ripe fertile achene: enlarged.
7. Picus i,Astoc,tEP.i, Mi,. Ft. AA Bat. Supp. 175, 429 ; Ann. Mus. Lund Bat iii
278, 293.-J?, bswphleiia, Miq. I.e. 427.
Scandent? The young branches densely but deciduously fulvous-tomentose • leaves
coriaceous, shortly pctiolate, often slightly inequilateral, clonglte, ovate-elliptic o 'ob onT
suddenly eontracted at the apex into a long nan-ow acumen I edges entire, r e l L e baS
rather broad, blmit, often oblique, 3- to o-ncrved; lateral p imar, nerve Z u 4 n^s
p r o i p e n t below intermediate or secondary neiwes parallel, ratler stl-a gta L Zle
of the lower surface (but especially the midr-ib, nerves and ret i™l . . io„rt .
surface shining, hard, smooth; longi of blade , to 10 n 1 fofa t a " d '
. to 4 in. long; stipules 2 to eachlei., lanceolate, t o m e M o ' ^ ^ l y , ' f t r n t i : " :