THE CATKIN-BEARERS. 239 



in the ovaries of the pistils. They then escape and 

 fly to the others, enter the hole, and convey the pollen 

 to the female flowers below. These then enable the 

 figs to mature without prematurely falling. 



There are several species of fig, natives of the 

 Eastern districts and Natal. The fibre of the bark is 

 used for ropes of certain species, but the fruit and 

 wood are of no use. 



General Description of the Nettle Family, 



Herbs, shrubs, or trees. 



Leaves — Opposite or alternate, often with stinging 

 hairs, stipulate. 



Flowers — Mostly unisexual ; calyx, cleft ; stamens 

 as many as sepals inflexed in bud, sometimes with 

 spring-like filaments ; ovary, free, 1-celled. 



Fruit — Nut or achene, free, or in a fleshy receptacle 

 (Fig), or fleshy calyx (Mulberry). 



Amentaceae. 



The Catkin-bearers. 



This is not strictly an order or family, but is a 

 group of plants, having the male, and sometimes the 

 female, flowers clustered on long stalks forming cat- 

 kins. The chief native genus, which has 9 species at 

 the Cape, is called the Wax-berry, Myri'ca, giving the 



