ON THE FEHTILIZiTION
» s l e n m l diameter e v m in excBptioiially large specimens being onl y about 3-75. Thu external
mrfcoo is of a beautiinl briclc-red and yellow oolom-, being mnob more brightly tinted than
« l a t of the niQtnro gall-reeeptaeles oyer is. As in the case of the latter, the receptacukr fluid
IS absorbed as maturation approaches, and in fully rips figs the oaTity is empty The
. n t e r i o r surface is beantifnlly colomed, the bright yellow aohsne, shining thronr,h the
t r a n s p a r e n t selatmons material into which the outer coats of the oTaries have become
resolved, and contrasting with the warm red colour of the stigmata and perianths. The
substance of the receptacular wall is pale pink (Plate III, fig.
2 ) . - Clmmslm of mature fimnh nuftacla lo whkh imtcli Imc ml gained acmn.
If insects fail to gain access at tbo time when the receptacles arc ready for them very
h t t l e change usually occurs during maturation save a g r a d u a l change of colour in the sti»matic
surface t o a strong b r i c t r e d and a gradual drying up of all the tissues. A slight iocrLse in
thickness of the stratum of flowers may take place, but due merely to elongation of the
pedicels, and not as a rule to any ovarian enlargement. In certain cases, however, pbonomena
parallel to those occurring in those gall-dower receptacles, in which considerable growt h of the
male flowers occurs after the period for access of insects, bat where access has not taken
place, present themselves. In these a general enlargement of the flowers evidoatly takes
place, and a varying, but somet imes considerable, number of the ovaries becomes conspicuously
enlarged, forming in the first place a series oi btilliant white eminences on the general red
of the stigmatie surface where the affccted flowers are pedicellate (Plate III, fie. and
u l t i m a t e l y in outward appearance coming to be identical with normal ripe ones," save that
t h e outer coats of the ovary do not soften and gelatinize, and therefore do not allow the
b r i g h t yellow of the sclerosed inner ones to shine quite so clearl y through tlwni. The orowth
of achenes in such eases only occurs in isolated flowers, and never over the entire Turface
as after insect access, and it is unaccompanied by any accumulation of fluid within the
receptacular cavity-a circumstance which is probably causally related to the defective
s o f t e n i n g of the outer coats of the ovaries noted above. The general thickness of the floral
s t r a t um in such receptacles may amount to O IT," and the ovaries may be arranf^ed i n four or
five tiers. Achene formation may occur in sessile as well as in pedicellate flowers and
when it occurs in tall specimens of the latter, the mature achenes project somewhat ibove
t h e general surface.
The flotvers of Fieus Boxliurghii,
I n proceeding to a description of the several kinds of flowers present iu the receptacles
of Ficm Rtthirghn, it is again neccssary to give details regarding the phenomena present at
d i f f e r e n t periods and under the influence of different conditions.
I . — M a l b I'lowers.
A — CharacUrs at ¡he period for aceess of inaeetn to the receptacle.
T h e stamens are at this time enclosed within three complete coverings. Externally
is a large sheathing bract, which forms a hood over the summit of the entire flower and
a t utmost presents a mere fissure at one side (Plate IV, 8}. Within this is a complete
OF FICUS EOXBUBGHIL
coat formed of the two, or in exceptional cases one or three, overlapping lobes of the outer
perianth, and internal to this is the truly closed hood of the inner perianth, which forms a
special protective covering for the stamens during the long period in which the flowers
in galled receptacles are immersed in the receptacular fluid, and which is only ruptured
when the latter is drying up.
The following figures show the dimensions of a flower at this stago; —
Total beiglit j.g
fce.t„ti,r..dth i. 0 2 ° L .
Height after removal of the outer perianth 10 2 mm.
Breadth after removal of outer perianth
Total height of stameiis _ 0 4560 mm
Leogth of filaments 01710 mm
Breadth from faoo of anther-lobe to back of connectiye 0 1995 mm
The flowers ate practically sessile, the filaments of the stamens are rudimentary and
t h e anther-lobes very small and semi-transparent. '
a.— Character, of male flowers in nmlure sall-rcceptacles lo nUck iusecb have gained accen.
T h e following are the measurements of one ;—
Total height from base of pedicel to apes of anthers ll 'On i m
Height from base of pedicel to origiu of outer perianth 3 3 mm
Height from base of pedicel to bases of filanionts 6'3 mm
Length of filaments ! ' ' 4.5 m
Diameters of anthers 1, X ,I ',l mm.
All the flowers have a largo sheathing bract inserted at the origin of the pedicel
( P l a t o I I , fig. 1). Mosthavet-wolobesinth6outorperiauth(PlateII,fig.l; Plate I V fig 1 a)
some have only one, and monstrous flowers may have three. In such cases the axis • t
some httle distance above the origin of the outer perianth divides info two branches, each of
which bears a distinct inner perianth and stamens. The lobes of the outer perianth difl'or
p m f l y m different instances iu the extent to which they are separated from one another
inferiorly. In some casos they are distinct throughout, but in most they are confluent
i n f e r , o r l y , and iu some they ai-e merely indicated by a shallow depression of the anex
of one hroud leaf. The ruptm-ed inner perianth forms a funnel-shaped sheath around the
upper portion of the axis and the bases of the filaments (Plate IV, fig. 1). The upper
m a r g i n is ragged, the outline varying according to tile precise fashion"in which rnnture
has originally occurred and the extent to which the filaments have lacerated it in their
final expansion. The stamens are two or three iu number ami are widely diver,™,
( P l a t e IV, fig. 1, b), and the anther-lobes dehiscent by a fissm-o alon.r the T j In"''
l a r g e number of flowers a rudimentar y ovary, style, and stigma terminate the axis between
bases of tbo filaments (Plate IV, figs. 1, 2, 3). ^^ ««is oetwcen the
T h e pollen-grains are vei y small, haying diameters, when fresh, of o >! s - 6 a and wh
mounted iu Canada balsam of 13-2 x 6-6^. They are normally oval with truncate „trenilties"
where the cell wall is thinner than elsewhere, and which form the sites of exit for the ooll™'
tubes; when in mass they are, when fresh, pure white. In certain cases, in place of pre"
s e n t m g the normal figui,, they have the form of triangles the points of which have been cui
ofl', and hero there are three sites at which pollen-tubes may emerge. As a rule, they c o n t l