372 THE BIOLOGY OF FLOWERING PLANTS 



generation, the " fichi," now developing about the end of 

 May. These contain only normal female flowers with 

 long styles. The wasp tries in vain to lay its eggs in the 

 ovaries, at the same time pollinating the stigmas. The 

 fichi ripen about the end of September, and are fleshy and 

 edible. Meantime the third generation, the " mamme," is 

 developing, and the gravid wasps ultimately find their way 

 into the synconia and lay their eggs in the gall flowers which 

 alone are present. In these the larvae pass the winter, 

 escaping in spring to repeat the cycle. Fig and wasp are 

 entirely dependent the one on the other. 



The cultivated fig, in all its numerous varieties, is derived 

 from this wild species. It exists in two races, the fig 

 {Ficiis carica, domestica) and the caprifig, or goat fig {Ficus 

 carica, caprificus), which never produces edible fruit. Each 

 bears three generations of flowers. The wasps pass the 

 winter in the mamme of the caprifig, and, escaping about 

 March, enter the profichi of the caprifig and also the 

 " fiori di fico " of the fig. In the former they lay their eggs 

 in the gall flowers ; the latter contain sterile female flowers 

 only, in which eggs cannot be laid. The fiori di fico ripen 

 in some varieties, and are edible, but usually they fall off. 

 From the profichi the gravid females escape in June, 

 becoming dusted with pollen as they make their way out. 

 They then enter the " mammoni " of the caprifig and the 

 " pedagnuoli " of the fig. In the former they find gall 

 flowers in which they lay eggs, in the latter they pollinate 

 the female flowers which alone are present. The peda- 

 gnuoli ripen into edible figs from August to December, and 

 form the main crop of all varieties. From the mammoni a 

 new generation of gravid female wasps escapes in September, 

 and these, sparingly dusted with pollen from a few male 

 flowers, pass to the mamme of the caprifig, in the gall 

 flowers of which the larvae pass the winter. They also 

 enter the " cimaruoli " of the fig, in which only female 

 flowers are present, and pollinate these. The cimaruoli 

 of some varieties produce a crop of edible figs in winter. 

 The cultivated fig may thus bear two crops of figs, or very 



