Ficus krishnae C. DC., Curtis Bot. Mag.

Tiwari, Rinkey, Sudhakar, Jana V., Chaudhary, Lal B., Murthy, Garimella V. S. & Durgapal, Anjala, 2015, Revisit the taxonomy of Ficus krishnae (Moraceae), Phytotaxa 192 (3), pp. 169-180 : 175-179

Ficus krishnae C. DC., Curtis Bot. Mag. 132: t. 8092. 1906. ( Figures 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 )

Ficus benghalensis L. var. krishnae (C. DC.) Corner, Gard. Bull. Singapore 21 (1): 14. 1965. Type:—Described from a plant grown at Vallon, near Geneva from material sent by Botanic Garden, Calcutta, India, Plate Bot. Mag. 8092.

Vernacular Names:— Krishna bor , Krishna cup , Krishna fig tree, Krishna’s butter cup (English) ; Makkhan Katori, Krishna Badh (Hindi) ; Krishna Badh (Sanskrit) ; Krishna Khongang (Manipuri) .

Small to medium size tree, 10–15 m tall, with white milky sap, monoecious; stem 75–150 cm in diam., twigs 0.5–1.0 cm in diam., cylindrical, puberulous only towards apex, otherwise glabrous. Bark greyish with scattered lenticels, blaze petal peach. Stipules 2–6.8 × 1–1.4 cm, deciduous, narrowly triangular, obtuse to truncate at base, entire along margins, acute to acuminate at apex, whitish adpressed puberulous outside, glabrous inside. Leaves 9–20 cm long, alternate, generally cup-shaped at base on dorsal side or occasionally simple (without cup), with or without 1–2 (–3) leafy appendages (leaflets) at petiole situated at different position almost from base to apex; petioles (2.7–) 4.5–10 cm long, subflattened and pulvinous towards base, terete towards apex, whitish puberulous; leafy appendages 1.1–10.5 cm long, quite variable, sometimes quite reduced or absent; petiolules ca. 1.5 cm long, terrate, puberulous; lamina of leaflets 0.4–9.5 × 0.3–2.0 cm, obovate or spatulate, cuneate to acute at base, entire and white puberulous along margins, obtuse at apex, white puberulous on both sides, basal veins 2, lateral veins 3–4 pairs, lamina 9–17 × 6–8.5 cm, coriaceous, elliptic to ovate, acute and with cone at base, entire or subundulate along margins, acute to obtuse at apex, shiny, minutely hair on upper surface, downy at lower surface, basal veins 4–5(–8), lateral veins 3–5 (–8) pairs, cone quite variable in shape and size, single or paired, generally funnel shaped. Figs axillary, paired, sessile; basal bracts 3, 1.2–7 × 3–5 mm, broadly ovate or irregular, emarginated at base, undulate and puberulous along margins, obtuse to subacute at apex, densely hairy outside, glabrous inside; receptacle (fig body) 1.5–2.0 × ca. 1.8 cm in dbh, globular, green in young, orange to red at maturity, white puberulous, male, female and gall flowers present in same receptacle; apical bracts 3, ovate, rounded at base, entire and hairy along margins, acute at apex, puberulous outside, glabrous inside; interfloral bracts numerous inside receptacle, attached at base of the pedicle of flowers, ca. 2 mm long, linear, elongate, obtuse at base, entire along margins, acuminate at apex, hyaline. Male flowers numerous, distributed throughout receptacle with maximum concentration at ostiolar region, 2–4 mm long, pedicellate; pedicel 1–2.5 mm long; tepals 3–4, pinkish or whitish, ca. 1 mm long, free, spatulate or obovate, hyaline, entire along margins, acute to obtuse at apex; stamen 1, glabrous, filament 0.5–1.7 mm long, anther ovate, dorsifixed, connective slightly protruded with obtuse or subacute tip. Gall flowers scattered throughout receptacle, 3–4 mm long, pedicellate; pedicle 1–3 mm long, glabrous; tepals 3, ca. 1.5 mm long, reddish, narrowly ovate, cuneate at base, entire along margins, acute at apex, hyaline; ovary ca. 1 mm long, globular, style 0.2–1.2 mm long, lateral or subterminal, stigma clavate, glabrous. Female flowers present throughout the receptacle, very few at ostiolar region, sessile to pedicellate; pedicel ca. 1 mm long; tepals 3–4, 1.5–2.0 mm long, narrowly ovate, cuneate at base, entire along margins, acute to acuminate at apex, glabrous; ovary ca. 1 mm long, ovate or subglobose, sessile; style 1.5–2.0 mm long, lateral to subterminal, slender; stigma linear, feathery or flattened. Achene ca. 1 × 1 mm, broadly ovate to trigonal, glabrous.

Distribution: —In India it is only found in cultivation throughout in gardens, lawns and squares. Also planted in Pakistan (Lahore, Sialkot), Malesia and Sri Lanka.

Flowering and Fruiting: —Almost throughout the year.

Etymology: —The specific epithet ‘krishnae’ is after Hindu Lord Krishna , who is considered to be creator of this plant.

Uses: —Cultivated in gardens, lawns, squares and temple premises for its handsome foliage and hanging branchlets. The trees are worshiped during marriage ceremony and on auspicious occasion and leaves are used as spoon during havana rituals. The bark and leaves are also used for the treatment of diabetes ( Madhava et al., 2008). Dixit & Mittal (2013) have reported anti-diabetic activities in the leaves of F. krishnae .

Variations in leaves: —The leaves are tremendously variable in Ficus krishnae. The variations are so pronounced that every leaf seems to be different from each other on the same plant. The leaves in the species are also considered quite unique and botanically curious among all species of Ficus due to its peculiar cone shaped structure and trifoliate nature due to presence of leaflet like structure on the petiole. The shape and size of the cone irregularly vary among different leaves ( Figure 6B–Q ). There may be three types of leaves in the species: 1. Simple leaf without cup and leaflets ( Figure 6A ), 2. Leaf with cup shaped structure on dorsal side and without trifoliation ( Figure 6B, C, D, F ) and 3. Leaf with cup shaped structure on dorsal side and with uni to trifoliation ( Figure 6E, G–R ). In this species, the lower third to the half of lamina of the leaves abruptly narrowed down to the midrib and peculiarly turned backwardly (towards dorsal side) from both sides of midrib and becoming fused through their margins to form a complete funnel or cone ( Figure 6E, G, H, K, L ). Sometimes the margins of the folded basal portion instead of joining to each other fuse with the midrib and hence double cones are formed ( Figure 6F, I, J, M ). Thus, the cones are always produced on the dorsal side of leaf at base. The inside of the cone is always formed by dorsal pubescent surface. The arrangement of leaves is also peculiar here. Contrary to the general orientation, sometimes the dorsal surface of the leaves faces towards the axis and ventral surface away from the axis. Due to this orientation, it falsely appears that cones are developed on ventral surface ( Figure 1C ). The examination of young leaves reveals that the development of cone in leaves begins from the beginning of the formation of leaves. The development of cone in the leaves of F. krishnae has been elaborately discussed by Unnikrishnan & Hema (1990).

In addition to the formation of cone, sometimes a single ( Figure 6H, I, N ) or two ( Figure 6J–M, O–Q ) or occasionally three ( Figure 6R ) leafy appendages resembling leaflets are found on the petiole which gives the general appearance of a trifoliolate leaves. Although not recorded in the protologue ( Prain 1906), trifoliate nature of leaves was first observed by Vaid (1963) on the plants growing in the botanic garden of Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun and recently by Unnikrishnan & Hema (1990) in the plants growing in the botanic garden of University of Calicut, Kerala. It appears that the leafy appendages on the petioles have irregularly developed with time and now has become more or less constant feature of the leaves in the species. We have also recently examined this peculiar character in the leaves on the plants growing in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Calcutta from where it is thought that the twigs of this plant were distributed to various gardens in India as well as outside the country. These leafy appendages are quite variable in number, shape, size and place of attachment on the petiole. Sometimes they are quite reduced and represented by only a rudimentary structure like an awn ( Figure 6E, G, H, O ). If occur in pairs or triplet, they are opposite, but may or may not be of the same size and shape. They may occur at different position on the petiole starting from just above the base of petiole ( Figure 6E, G–M ) to the base of lamina ( Figure 6N–Q ). They may be sessile ( Figure 6P, Q, R ) or distinctly petiolulate ( Figure 6I–M ). Their orientation is also not uniform in different leaves. Mostly the ventral surface faces towards axis as like apical lamina, however, the reverse condition is also seen where the ventral surface is away from axis ( Figure 6J, P ). Generally the cup-shaped structure is not found on lateral leaflets, but sometimes it has been observed in some leaves ( Unnikrishnan & Hema 1990).

Specimens examined: INDIA. Delhi: Lodhi Garden , 13 May 1993, B. D. Naithani 81949 ( BSD) ; Zoo garden Area, September 1993, B. D. Naithani 83592 ( BSD). Karnataka: Bangalore District, Bangalore Garden, January 1951, H. Santapau s.n. ( BLAT). Maharashtra: Mumbai District , Victoria Garden, August 1916, without collector 15295 ( BLAT) ; Victoria Garden, 28 May 1957, R. R. Fernandez 4146 ( BLAT). Tamilnadu: Chennai District, Teynampet Garden , 29 November 1949, Superintendent of Garden s.n., acc. no. 93750 ( MH) ; Madras, 12 January 1958, S. K. Wagh 7233 ( BLAT) ; Coimbatore District, Near Valayar, Chandra Garden, 05 December 2010, J. V. Sudhakar 122958 ( MH) ; Coimbatore, Avinashi Road, Srinivasa Perumal temple premises, 460 m, 14 April 2011, J. V. Sudhakar 122977 ( MH). Tripura: Botanic Garden, M. B. B. College , Agartala , without date, N.D. B. Das 2428 ( CAL). Uttarakhand: Botanical Garden , New Forest , 24 February 1976, R. C. Gaur & N. K. Shukla R. C. G. Ser II.7 ( DD) ; Dehra Dun ( Bot. Garden ), 03 September 1958, without collector & number ( DD) ; Dehra Dun, New forest, 07 June 1963, K. M. Vaid s. n., acc. nos. 153262, 153263, 153264 ( DD) ; Dehra Dun, August 1963, K. M. Vaid s.n. ( CAL). Uttar Pradesh: Indra Gandhi Udhyaan Raebareli, 31 March 2014, K. K. Anand 264567 ( LWG) ; Lucknow: N. B. G., without date, collector & number ( LWG) ; NBRI, inside Plant Nursary, 07 October 2008, R. K. Srivastava & U. M. Singh 249704 ( LWG) ; NBRI Garden , 15 April 2011, R. Tiwari 250386 ( LWG) ; NBRI Garden, 26 August 2012, R. Tiwari & L. B. Chaudhary 264548 ( LWG). West Bengal: Howrah , Sibpur , Royal Botanic Garden , 14 January 1941, J. N. Naskar s.n., acc. no. 428618 ( CAL) ; Howrah, AJCB Indian Botanic Garden, very near to Roxburgh’s building, 100 m, 25 May 2012, J. V. Sudhakar 126320 ( MH) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Ficus krishnae: A. Habit; B. Close-up of habit with leaves and figs; C. Close-up of habit showing arrangement of leaves; D. Bark of stem; E. Blaze of the stem with latex; F. Stipules; G. Figs; H. Vertical section of a fig. A–H photos by Rinkey Tiwari.

FIGURE 2. Ficus krishnae: A historical collection (Royal Botanic Garden Sibpur, 14 January 1941, without collector and collection number,BM000951763).

FIGURE 5. Ficus krishnae: A. Habit; B. Stipule; C. Basal bracts of the fig; D. Apical bracts of the fig; E. Inter floral bract; F. Male flower; G. Gall flower; H. Female flower sessile; I. Female flower with pedicel; J. Stigma; K. Achene. A from R. K. Srivastava & U. M. Singh 249704 (LWG); B–K from R. Tiwari & L. B. Chaudhary 264548 (LWG). A–K illustrated by Rinkey Tiwari.

FIGURE 6. Ficus krishnae: Variation in leaves. B–N photos by Rinkey Tiwari; R by J. V. Sudhakar; A, O–Q by A. K. Srivastava and A. K. Kushwaha.