23S SOUTH AFRICAN FLOWERING PLANTS. 



a calyx of foiir sepals, with a pistil of one carpel in 

 the middle, with a tuft-like stigma. 



This stigma consists of a tuft of papilla', or short 

 hairs, which are thus enabled to catch the pollen 

 wafted to them by the wind, the nettles being " wind- 

 pollinated" plants. 



Fi'cTis. — The fig is a pseudoearp, in that the edible 

 part is only an expanded flower-stalk. 



If a young fig in the flowering stage be cut down 

 from top to bottom, it will be found to haye a little 

 opening at the top, but closed by many minute bracts. 

 In nearly all cultiyated yarieties of fig the whole of 

 the interior chamber is coyered with female flowers, 

 consisting of a calyx of three or more sepals, and a 

 pistil haying a forked stigma. The oyary is only "one- 

 celled with one oyule. This, howeyer, neyer becomes 

 a seed, and therefore neyer deyelops an embryo. In 

 fact, these female flowers are more or less abortiye. 

 Moreoyer, there are no stamens. 



In some figs, as the so-called "Wild Fig," or 

 Cajjrijwu-s, of the Mediterranean regions, stamens form 

 a cluster just inside the orifice, hanging downwards. 



Xow, although, as stated, hundreds of different 

 sorts of figs become edible fruits without any pollina- 

 tion, certain kinds (such as the Smyrna figs) do require 

 it, or they will fall off prematurely. 



The " caprification " is effected by minute wasp-like 

 insects which breed in the wild fig, their grubs liying 



