A large shrub or small tree, up to 10 (-15) m tall, all parts hispid, hairs pale brown to white. Trunk with lax branches, bark grey, smooth, flaky, young twigs hollow. Leaves opposite, with 105-405 (-10) cm long petiole with a gland near the node; lamina ovate-oblong to ovate-elliptic or ± obovate-oblong, (8-) 10-30 (-35) cm long, 2.5-20 (-25 cm broad, 35-costate at the cuneate to truncate-cordate base, crenate-serrate to ± entire, acute to shortly acuminate, scabrid on both sides, lateral nerves 5-9-pairs, intercostals curved-ascending; stipules lateral, ovate-lanceolate, 10-20 (-25) mm long, hairy beneath, caduceus; cystoliths present only on the lower side. Hypanthodia on 5-10 mm long peduncles, borne in paired clusters on leafless hanging or often trailing branchlets from the trunk or branches (cauliflorous), obovoid or turbinate, 10-15 mm in diameter, thinly hispid, subtended by 3, ± triangular, 1-1.5 mm long basal bracts, apical orifice closed by 5-6 bracts, longitudinally faintly 7-9-ribbed, with a few appressed lateral bracts, internal bristles absent. Male flowers: numerous in 1-2 whorls, ostiolar; sepals 3, concave; stamen single, fllament short. Gall flowers pedicellate or sessile in the male hypanthodium, with sepals enclosing the ovary. Female flowers: sessile or pedicellate, sepals united into a tube round the globose ovary; style subterminal, hairy. Figs depressed-globose to ± pyriform, 2-3 cm in diam., pale-green or greenish-yellow, brown pubescent.

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

Type: “Habitat in Java”, Thunberg, Herb. Linn. 1240. 13 (LINN).

Probably undercollected from our area, although reported to be common in the subhimalayan zone from the Chenab eastwards (Parker, l.c.). Stewart, (l.c.) has also reported it from C-8 Jammu, Udhampur and Riasi, referring to Lambert’s collection which the author has not seen.

Distribution: Pakistan, India, Bangla Desh, Burma, Andaman Island, Sri Lanka, S. China, Malayasia, N. Australia, New Guinea: introduced and cultivated in U.S.A.

The fruits are edible and considered tonic, lactagogue and emetic.