F. cijrtophjUa^ Wall. Cat. 4532.— Coveilia ci/rlophylla, Miq. Lond. Journ.
Bot. vii. 460.—suhdenticulata, Miq. lud. Bat. i. pt. 2. 323.
A bush or small ti-ee, with vei-y iueqiiilatoral ^oftcn semi-saggitate) leaves; all the young-
I)ai-ts hispid-scabrous. Leaves shortly pctiolate, membranous, oblong or elliptic, obovateelliptic,
oblauceolate or sub-trapeziform, veiy luicqual-sided—the side next the stem being the
narrower—more or less gi-adually naiTo-wed to the apex, which is produced into a more or hsss
elongate, narrow, entire, or sub-serrate acumen; edges, and especially the external edge,
irregularly dentate-serrate, rarely sub-entire; the lower half of the inner edge sub-entire,
often straight; base oblique, often semi-saggitate, 3- to o-nerved, often \vit]i an additional
nerve on the broader (am-ioled) side; lateral nerves from 4t o 5 paii-s, or even more, prominent
below; the whole of the lower surface, and particulai-ly the midrib, nerves and reticulations
hirsute or hispid (often minutely tuberculate); upper surface scabrous or sub-scabrous,
minutely hispid (in some old leaves nearly glabrous); length from 5 to 10 in.; petioles -3 to
•5 in. long; stipules lanceolate, deciduously hii-sute, usually longer than the petioles. Receptacles
sub-sessile or shortly pedunculate, axillary, in pairs, solitaiy by abortion, or fascicled; occasionally
in fascicles from the main branches below the leaves and from stem, ovoid or globuhir,
umbonate when young, and with rather prominent umbilical bi'acts, scabrous-hispid or Iiii-sute,
with one or two verruciform bracts on their sides, but no basal bracts; when ripe reddisli
or oraugc, from -35 in. to '75 in. across; peduncles absent, or from -1 to -4 in. long, with 1 to 3
scattered minute bracteoles, hirsute or hispid. Male flowers sessile or pedicellate, either
nionandrous with perianth of i pieces, or diandi'ous with perianth of 6 obovate pieces. Gall
flowers mostly pedicellate; the periai^tli of 4 distinct lanceolate pieces; ovary smooth, subglobular;
style short, lateral; stigma dilated. Fertile female flowers with perianth of 5
narrowly-lanceolate, hyaline pieces ; achene rotund-ovoid; style long, lateral; stigma cylindric ;
interior of perianth slightly hispid.
T]\e lower Himalayan forests of North-Eastern India tln-ough the Khasi Hills, Burma,
and the Malayaii Peninsula to the Malayan Archipelago, from the sea level up to 2,000 or
3,000 ft. Very common, and presenting many forms.
I have carefully examined the types of almost all the species which I have reduced to
this, and 1 can find no reason to keep them up even as varieties. Indian specimens of this
were issued by AYallich as F. e!/rioph//Ua, but I do not find that the Indian plant can be
separated as a stable form. I liave had ample opportunity of seeing it in its native forests,
and I have found gi-eater vai'iation amongst specimens collected on a single mountain in
Sikldm than there exists between the forms from various parts of the Malayan Ai-chipelago
which have been specifically named by Miquel. In some of its narrower-leaved forms this
species runs into F. pisi/era, Wall. The best distinction between the two lies in. the receptacles,
which in this species are larger and more scabrous. The leaves of tliis are also usually
larger. The oldest name for tliis species is doubtless F. coronata, Keinw. Blumc adoptcid
Rcinwardt's manuscript name, and gave a description of this plant, which, except as to tlie size
of the frait, agrees with his own species ohscnra. I retain the latter name, as no authentic
type of Rein war dt's coronata exists, whereas of Blume's oUcura. there are types at Leiden.
PLATE 102.—-F. ohscura, Bl. A, the form originally described by Blume : fruitingbranch,
with mature receptacles. B, smaller leaved form: with young, much umbonate
receptacles : of natural size.
PLATE 103.—-P. obsrura, Bl. C. & D, the Indian form named F. curto-phjlla by Wallicli—
of natural sise. 1, sessile male diandi'ous flower; 2, pedicellate monandrous flower; 3, gal)
flower (from the same receptacle as No. 102); 4, fertile female flower with perianth; 5, fertile
achene with the perianth removed : enlarged.
94. Fious iiADUEEssis, Mi(i. in Ann. Mus, Lugd. Bat. iii. 222, 291.
A small ti-ee, the young branches and young petioles with minute, stiff, adpressed hairs,
ultimately glabrous, but always harsh and sub-scabrid. Leaves long-petiolate, oblanceolate,
rather abruptly and shortly cuspidate, gradually narrowed from above the middle to the acute
3-nerved base; edges coarsely serrate; length of blade 0 to 9 in.; lateral primary nerves
about 6 pairs, rather prominent below; the midrib witli a few scattered adpressed-setose hairs,
otherwise both sm-faces quite glabrous ; upper sm-face shining, under sm-face minutely
punctate ; petioles very faintly scabrid, 1 to 2 in. long; stipules (/¿¿e Miquel) subcoriaceous,
ovate-lanceolate, nearly glabrous, about 1 in. long. Receptacles shortly pedunculate, solitary,
axillary, sub-globose, with few-bracted small umbilicus, glabrous but slightly scabrid,
basal bracts absent; about -4 in. across (yellowish red when ripe,—/(fe Miquel); peduncles
smooth, -3 in. long, with an obscm-e bract about the middle. Fertile female flowers sessile;
perianth campanulate, 5-cleft; achene ellipsoid, smooth; style lateral. Male and gall flowers
not seen.
Madura,—De Vnese.
This is closely alli.-d to copiosa, but has axillary, not fascicled receptacles. It is a very
little known plant, DeVriese's being the only specimens extant.
PLATE 104.—Fruiting-branch of F. Madurensis, Miq. 1, apex of receptacle; 2, base of the
same—o/ natural size; 3, fertile female perianth ; 4, achene: enlarged.
95. Ficus MESPiLoiDES, nov. spec.
A tree; the young shoots with long, tawny, adpressed, rather stifi hairs, which are
•ultimately deciduous. Leaves rigid and rather harsh to the touch, sub-coriaceous, petiolates
elliptic, inequilateral; the apes shortly cuspidate; the edges entire, recurved; the base
narrowed, cordate, or emarginate, sometimes oblique, 5- to 7-nerved; primary lateral nerves
about 6 pairs, prominent beneath and, as well as the midi-ib, minutely adpressed-pubescent;
the rest of the under surface puberulous and obscurely and minutely tuberculate;
upper surface minutely lepidote, glabrous, rigid ; length of blade 5 to 7 in. ; petiole
scurfy, and with a few scattered, adpressed, fibrous haii-s, -4 in. long; stipules ovate-acute,
pilose externally -4 in. long. Receptacles sessile, axillary, solitary, sub-globose (the base
and apex truncate), the surface with many faint vertical ridges especially towards the
apex, slightly; when young scm-fy-pubescent; when mature nearly glabrous, an inch
long by 1'3 in, broad; the umbilicus large, wide, surrounded by a rigid, but in no
way projecting, annulus; basal bracts 3, leaving an annular scar where they fell ofi'.
Fertile female fiowers ellipsoid, rather flat, smooth; the style long, terminal; perianth of
3 lanceolate dark-coloured free pieces. Male and gall flowers unknown.
New Guinea, on Mount Arfak,—¿'i;^;. Beccari. (Herb. Becc. P. P. 962.)
PLATE 105.—Branch of F. mespiloides, King, with a mature receptacle. I, receptacle;
2, stipule—a^/ of natural size; 3, fertile female flowers: enlarged.