28. FICUS ALTISSIMA, Bl. Bijd. 444; Miq. in Ann. Mus. Lugd. Bat iii. 285;
Kurt For. Flora. Brìi. Burm. il U2.~ Urost. aliissimmi, Miq. in Zoll. Syst.'
Verz. 90 & 96; Miq. FI Ind. Bat. i. pt. 2. 349.-^'. lacci/era, Roxb.
FI. Ind. iii. 545; Wight le. 656; Beddome FI. Sylv. ii. 223; Brandis
For. Flora 418 ; Kurz For. Flora Brit. Burm. ii. Ul.~Urost. altisdmum,
Miq, Lond. Jom-n. Bot. vi. 575 ; Miq. in Ann. Mws. Lugd. Bat. iii. 285;
Thwaites Knum. PI. Cey. 265 ; Wall. Cat. 4559F, 4560 (in part).
A large spreading tree, with few aerial roots ; the young parts pubcruloiis, ultimately all
glabrous, except the external surface of tìie stipules ; leaves coriaceous, petiolate, broadly ovateolliptic,
rarely ovate-lanceolate, shortly and obtusely cuspidate, edges entù-e, baso rounded,
rarely narrowed, occasionally slightly unequal, but never cordate, 3- to S-nerved • lateral
primary nerves 5 or 6 pairs, distinct ; length 4 to 7 in. ; petioles '75 to 1-5 in. long ; stipules
very coriaceous, lauceolate, greyish pubesceut outside, glabrous iuside, from 1 in. to 1-75 in.
long ; receptacles sessile, enveloped when young in early deciduous ealypti-if orm bracts, in
pairs, axillary, ovoid, smooth, when ripe lake-red or yellowish, -75 in. to 1 in. long; basal
bracts 3, short, broad, blunt, united at tlie base, pubescent or puberulous ; male flowers scattered
all over tlie interior of the receptacles, pedicillate, the perianth of 4 pieces ; anther sub-sessile •
gall and fertile female flowers with a similar garaophyllous deeply 4-cleft perianth ; the ovary
of the gall flower smooth, that of the fertile female minutely tuberculate ; the style iu both
elongate ; gall flowers sometimes pedicillate ; fertile females usually sessile.
In the forests at the base of the Himalaya, from Nepal to Bhutan; on the plains and lower
slopes of the hills in Assam, Chittagong, and Burmah ; in Ceylon ; and the Malayan Peninsula
and Archipelago.
After much consideration and an examination of the material in the herbai-ia of Kew,
Leiden, Utrecht, and Calcutta, I cannot see my way to keeping F. laccifera, Koxb. specifically
distinct from altmiina, Bl. In my opinion Roxburgh's species is merely a Northern form of
altissima. It is best distinguished from typical altmima by its larger, thiimer leaves. Kiirz in
For. ilora Brit. Burm. ii. 441) keeps up both species, but he describes them in almost identical
terms. The diagnostic mark on which (in his clavis of the species) lie relies to distinguish
aUissima is that its stipules and bracts (by bracts Kui-z means the calyi)triform involucres of the
young receptacles) ai-c both puberulous, the latter falling off eai-ly, whereas in laceifera the
bracts are glabrous and persistent and the stipules are glabrous. But in Ms detailed description
he says of altissima—" bracts very caducous and of lacci/era he says—" bracts very deciduous.
" Miquel does not describe lacci/era, Roxb. anywhere, but in his classification of the
species of Ficus (Ann. Mus. Lugd. Bat. iii. 285 ct seq.) he jiuts altissima and laccifera into
different sections of his sub-genus Urostigma. The materials of each on which he worked in
the hei'baria at Leiden and Utrecht are scanty, and the sheets there named laceifera are not
characteristic specimens of Roxburgh's plant. There is much confusion in the sheets issued
by Wallich as F. Indica (No. 4560 of his Cat.), many of which belong to this species. In the
Calcutta set, sheets 4560 C and I unmistakeably, and H doubtfully, belong to this.
To add to the confusion, the Wallichian specimens under No. 4560 in the Linnaian Society's,
and those at Kew and in M. de Candolle's herbarium, do not in all cases agree. It is therefore
of very little use to quote the letters. But in all four herbaria the specimens named in
Hamilton's handwriting F. Peguensis and F. varinga are true laccifera, Roxb. Zoll.'s No. 2616
is typical F. altissima, Bl.
UaOSTlGMA.
VAR. FERGUSSONI.
Leaves narrower than in the typical form, often narrowed at the base; lateral main
nerves closer than in type, 9 to 12 pairs; receptacles sub-globular, smaller than in the type.
Ceylon,—T/maites, C. P. 2291,
This variety, wliich I have named in honour of my friend Mr. W. Fergusson, F.L.S., an
indefatigable botanist, is peculiar to Ceylon, where, Dr. Trimen informs me, it is truly indigenous.
It was issued by the late Dr. Thwaites as C. P. 2221.
PLATE 30.—altissivia, Bl. Fi-uiting-twig of the form found in the Malayan region,
withimmatm-e receptacles. 1, mature receptacles; 2, base of receptacle; 3, apex of ditto;
4, stipules : all of natural sise.
PLATE 82'.—1, male flower, the anther being removed; 2, the same, the perianth
being removed; 3, perianth of gall and female flowers; 4, achene of gall flowers; 5, achene
of female flower: all enlarged.
PLATE 30A.—F. altissima, Bl. The form found in Northern India and Burmah, and
which was named by Roxburgh laccifera. Separate figures of two of the large caducous
leaf-scales (stipules) of the expanding leaf bud; copied from RoxlurgKs original drtming and of
natural sise.
PLATE male flower, the anther being removed; 2, the same, with the perianth
removed; 3, pedicillate gall flower; 4, fertile female achene: enlarged.
PLATE 31.—Three forms of F. altissima, Bl.—
A. Tj-pical aUissima, Bl. from Malaya. 1, apex of receptaclc; 2, base of ditto;
3, stipule: the receptacles are immature.
B. Leaf of the form named laccifera from N. India.
C. Twig of the vai-iety Fergussoni from Ceylon (the receptacles immatui'e) all of
natural size.
29. Ficus CYCLONEURA, Miq. '.suh Urost.) Fl. Ind. Bat. Supp. 176, 438.
A glabrous ti'ee, the young branches with pale yellow bark; leaves coriaceous, shoi-tly
petiolate, broadly ovate or elliptic, shining on both surfaces, apex with an abrupt short point,
edges entire, base much rounded not narrowed or cordate, with 2 prominent supra-basal nerves
which sweep round and join the marginal anastomoses of the lateral nerves; lateral piimary
neiwes 4 pairs, not prominent; length of blade 3'5 to 4 in.; petioles stout, -6 in. long; stipules
glabrous, ovate-lanceolate; receptacles sessile, axOlaiy, in paii-s, smooth, depressed-globular,
•3 in. across, the apical scales forming a small 2)rojecting umbilicus; basal bracts 3. short,
broadly ovate-rotund, glabrous; male flowers rather numerous, scattered, the perianth of
4 concave pieces; anther single, on a rather long filament; gall and fertile female flowers
similar except as regards achenes, the perianth of 5 lauceolate pieces, style elongate,
stigma oblique.
Sumatra,—Kf/man« ; Bonico,-iiccwz', P. B. 3353.
The original specimen on which Miquel founded this species is a poor fragment; but
Signer Beccari's specimens ai-c excellent, aud from one of them the flgm-e has been di-awn.
PLATE 32.—Fruiting-branch of F. cycloneura, Miq.: of natural sise. 1, base of receptacle ;
2, side view of same ; 3, a single basal bract; 4, stipules: twice natural size.
PLATE 82^—5, male flowei-; 6, female flower: much enlarged.