Ficus hipsida

Systematic Classification:

Division   : Angiospermeae
Class      : Dicotyledonae
Order      : Rosales
Family     : Moraceae
Genus      : Ficus
Species    : hipsida

Common Name:

Anaayiri, Nirnjaval, Ayiri, Karinyaral

General Information:

Trees grow up to 10 m high laxly branched; bark grey, smooth; blaze yellow; exudation milky; young shoots hispid; internodes of branchlets hollow. Leaves simple, opposite; stipules 11-15 mm long, interpetiolar, ovate-lanceolate, cauducous, often in whorls of 4 on the receptacles with leafless branches; petiole 1-4 cm long, stout, hispid, with a subnodal gland; lamina 7-20 x 6-10 cm, oblong, obovate, elliptic-oblong, ovate-oblong or obovate-oblong, base round, subcordate or cuneate, apex abruptly acute or acuminate or cuspidate, margin subentire to minutely dentate, membranous, scabrid, hispid-pubescent; 3-5-ribbed from base, lateral nerves 5-6 pairs, pinnate, prominent, intercostae scalariform, prominent. Flowers unisexual; inflorescence a syconia, dioecious, fascicled on trunk or on elongated pendulous or trailing leafless branches, depressed-globose, base narrowed, sticky pubescent without, faintly ribbed; peduncle 5-15 mm long, stout; basal bracts 3, 1-1.5 mm long, subtriangular, orifice slightly raised, closed by 5-6 apical bracts and numerous small inner bracts; internal bristles absent, appressed lateral bracts when present 2-4 mm wide; male flowers and gall flowers in same receptacle; female flowers in separate; male flowers ostiolar, in 2 rings; tepals 3 broad; stamen 1, subsessile; anther oblong, parallel, unequal; female flowers sessile or stalked; perianth short, tubular to 2 mm, glabrous; ovary depressed-globose, superior, red-brown; style 1.5 mm long, hairy; stigma clavate; gall flowers same as female but larger and distinctly stalked. Syconium 2-2.5 cm across, yellow; achenes 1.5 mm, lenticular, keeled with prominent hilum.E