^ ^ SYC IDIUM.
F. cyrhphjlla, Wall. Cat. 4532.—Cow,Yib cnHophjlla, Miq. Lond. Jom-n.
Bot. vii. 460.—i". tuhlmtieulah, Miq. Fl. Iiid. Bat. i. pt. 2. 333.
A bush or small ti-oo, with vory incqmlaterol (often semi-saggitate) leaves; all the young
parts lii.spid-scabrous. Leaves shortly potiolate, nicmbrauous, oblong or elliptic, obovateolliptie,
oblanceolate or sub-trapozitorm, very imoqual-sided-the side next the stem boing the
n a r r o w e r - m o r e or less gi-adually narrowed to the apex, which is produced into a more or less
elongate, narrow, entii-e, or sub-serrate acumen; edges, and especially the external edge,
irregularly dentate-serrate, rarely sub-entire; tlie lower half of the inner edge sub-entire,
often straight; base obHquc, often semi-saggitate, 3- to o-nerved, often with an additional
nerve on the broader (aimcled) side; lateral nerves from 4 t o 5 paii-s, or even more, prominent
below; the whole of the lower sm-face, and pai-ticularly the micbib, nerves and reticulations
hirsute or hispid (often minutely tubereulato); npper 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, deciduouslj^ hirsute, usiually longer than the petioles. Eceeptacles
sub-sessile or shortly pedunculate, axillary, in pairs, solitary by abortion, or fascicled; occasionally
in fascicles from the main branches belowthe leaves and from stem, ovoid or globular,
unibonatc when yomig, and with rather prominent umbilical bracts, scabrous-hispid or hiisute'
with one or two verruciform bracts on theii- sides, but no basal bracts; when ripe reddish
or orange, from -Qo in. to -75 in. across; peduncles absent, or from -1 to "4 in. long, with 1 to 3
scattered minute bracteoles, liii-sute or hispid. Jlale flowers sessile or pediceUate, either
monandrous with perianth of 4 pieces, or diandi-ous with perianth of 6 obovate pieces. Gall
flowers mostly pedicellate; the perianth of 4 distinct lanceolate pieces; ovaiy smooth, subglobular;
style short, lateral; stigma dilated. Fertile female flowers with perianth'of 5
naiTowly-Ianceolate, hyaline pieces; achene rotund-oToid; style long, lateral; stigma cyluidric ;
interior of perianth slightly hispid. °
The lower Himalayan forests of North-Eastern IncHa tlu-ough the Khasi Hills, Bm-nia,
and the Malayan Peninsula to the Malaj-an 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 spccies which I have rcduccd to
this, iviid I can And no reason to keep them up even as varieties. Indian specimens of this
were issued by Wallich as F. ajHophylla, but I do not find that the Indian plant can be
separated as a stable form. I have had ample opportunity of seeing it in its native forests
and I have found gi-cater variation amongst specimens collected on a .single mountain in
Sikkim than there exists between the forms from various ])arts of the Malayan iVi-chipelago
wliich have been specifically named by Miquel. In some of its narrower-leaved forms this
species runs into F. pidfera, Wall. The be.st distinction between the two lies in the reccptaclcs,
which in this species are larger and more scabrous, 'ilie leaves of this are also usually
larger. The oldest name for this species is doubtless F. coronata, Reinw. 131mne adopted
Eeinwai-dt's manuscript name, and gave a description of this plant, wliicli, except as to the size
of the frmt , agi-ees with his own species ohscvra. I retain the latter name, as no authentic
type of Reinwardt's coronata exists, whereas of Rlume's ohscura there are t^^Dcs at Leidoi.
FLXTE H)2.—F. ohscura, Bl. A, the form originally described by IBlume : fraitino'-
branch, with matm-e receptacles. B, smaller leaved form: with young, much umbonate
receptacles : of natural size.
PLATE im.~F. obsr-ura, Bl. C. & D, the Indian form named F. qirtophylla by Wallichof
natural size. 1, sessile male diandi-ous flower; 2, pedicellate monaudrous flower; 3, gall
SYOIDIUM.
flowcr(frora the same receptacle as No. 102); 4, fertile female flower with perianth ; 5, fertile
achene with the perianth removed : enlarged.
9 i . Fiuus MADURESSIS, Miq. in Ann. Mus. Lvgd. Bat. iii. 222, 291.
A small tree, 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 fi to 9 in. ; lateral primary nerves
about 6 paii's, rather prominent below; the midrib with a few scattered adpressed-setose hairs,
otherwise both surfaces quite glabrous ; upper sm-face shining, under smi'ace minutely
punctate ; petioles very faintly scabrid, 1 to 2 in. long; stipules {fide 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 (yellowisli red when r ipe,—Miquel ) ; peduncles
smooth, -3 in. long, with an obscure bract about the middle. Fertile female flowers sessile;
perianth campanulate, o-cleft; achene ellipsoid, smooth; style lateral. Male and gall flowers
not seen.
Madm-a,—De Vrifsc.
Tliis is closely alii- 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.
9 5 . FICUS MESPILOIDES, nov. spec.
A tree; the young shoots with long, tawny, adpressed, rather stiff Jiairs, which are
ultimately deciduous. Leaves rigid and rather harsh to the touch, sub-coriaceous, petiolates
ellij^tic, inequilateral; the apex shortly cuspidate; the edges entii-e, 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 midrib, minutely adpressed-pubescent;
the rest of the under surface puberulous and obscurely and miimtely tuberculate;
upper surface minutely lepidote, glabi-ous, rigid ; length of blade 5 to 7 in. ; petiole
scm-fy, and with a few scattered, adpressed, fibrous hairs, "4 in. long; stipules ovate-acute,
pilose externally -4 in. long. Receptacles sessile, axillary, solitary, sub-globose (the base
and apex truncate), the sm-face with many faint vertical ridges especially towards the
apex, slightly; when young scurfy-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 off.
Fertile female flowers 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,—.S'iy. Beceari. (Herb. Becc. P. P. 962.)
P l a t e 105.—Branch of F. mesjnloides, King, with a matm-e receptacle. 1, receptacle;
2, stipule—aZi of natural size; 3, fertile female flowers: enlarged.
AMN. BOT. GARD. CALC VOL, I,