Page 681 - e-Book

F. racemosa, a tree with cauliflorous inflorescence was clustered together with independent

trees. F. racemosa is an independent tree that shows axillary inflorescence along with
cauliflorous inflorescence. All the members of the subg. Synoecia are root climbers. They are

not epiphytic trees. Here, F. pumila is considered as an independent tree, as the species is not
an epiphyte and is having axillary inflorescence, not cauliflorous. Thus, with only minor

deviations, the leaf-based clustering is much more similar to the habit-based classification
than the current morphology and sexual features-based classification.

CONCLUSION

The leaf-based clustering is showing less similarity with the current classification of
Ficus. It is much similar to the habit-based classification. Hence, it could be concluded that a

detailed study including more morphological characters and a greater number of species

could give more idea on the habit based-classification. And can confirm whether the habit-
based clustering fits better than the morphology and sexual features-based classification.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors are grateful to the Department of Botany, MES Asmabi College, P.

Vemballur and Sacred Heart College, Thevara for the support in carrying out the work.
REFERENCE

Berg, C. C. (2003). Flora Malesiana precursor for the treatment of Moraceae 1: the main

subdivision of Ficus: the subgenera. Blumea-Biodiversity, Evolution and Biogeography
of Plants, 48(1): 166-177.

Berg, C. C. & Corner, E. J. H. (2005). Moraceae - Ficus. Flora Malesiana Series I (Seed
Plants). 17: 1–730.

Chaudhary, L. B., Sudhakar, J. V., Kumar, A., Bajpai, O. & Tiwari, R. (2012). Synopsis of
the Genus Ficus L. (Moraceae) in India. Taiwania 57(2): 193–216.

Corner, E. J. H. (1965). Check List of Ficus in Asia and Australasia with keys to

identification. Gardens Bulletin, Singapore 21: 1–186.
Hyland, B. P. M. (1989). A Revision of Lauraceae in Australia (excluding Cassytha).

Australian J. Syst. Bot., 2: 135–67

Klucking, E. P. (1987). Leaf Venation Patterns Vol. 2, Lauraceae. Gebruder Borntraeger
Verlagsbuchhandlung.

Kumar, P. and D. K. Jain. (1986). Leaf architecture in some Indian species of Ficus. Acta
Bot. Indica, 14: 93–100

671