ABDUL GHAFOOR

A large, deciduous tree, 10-15 m tall, trunk and branches without aerial roots. Young shoots glabrous, bark dark brown. Leaves with a slender, 2.5-7 cm long, apically glandular, articulate petiole; lamina thick, coriaceous, oblong-elliptic or ovate-lanceolate to ovate-elliptic, 8-20 cm long, 3.5-12 cm broad,. glossy above, 3-5-costate at the obtuse-truncate base, apex abruptly shortly acuminate, entire, lateral nerves (7-) 8-12 (-14) pairs, intercostals present, slightly bulging on both sides; stipules large, foliaceous, 4-7 (-10) cm long, glabrous; cystoliths present on lower side only. Hypanthodia monoecioua, sessile, axillary and paired or in bunches of 3-6 on shoots around the leaf scars behind the leaves, whitish-yellow, depressed globose, 4.5-6.5 (-7) mm in diam., sub-tended by 3, broadly ovate, obtuse, bifid basal bracts, apical orifice covered by 3 bracts, internal bristles absent. Male flowers; ostiolar in a single whorl, sessile; sepals 2-3, free or basally connate, red; stamen single with ovate-oblong anther. Female flowers: sessile; sepals 3.4 (-5), free or united at the base, red, ovate-lanceolate; ovary dark red, obovoid, style simple, elongate. Figs depressed-globose, 6-8 mm in diameter, greyish-purple, spotted.

Fl. & Fr. Per.: March-April.

Type: “Habitat in Malabaria”.

Distribution: Sri Lanka, South India, Pakistan (Sind, testa Hasnain & Rehman).