CAPRIFICATION OF THE FIG. 91 
were female flowers capable of producing fertile seeds. But this is 
undoubtedly not the case. 
All flowers of the edible figs 
ina general way resemble the 
female flowers, but, as will 
shortly be demonstrated, they 
are not all alike, but differ in 
the various crops and in dif- 
ferent varieties. (See figs. 11, 
12.) 
In the second crop of the 
genuine Smyrna figs nearly 
all flowers are perfectly de- 
veloped female flowers, which 
only require pollination in 
order to bring fertile seed. 
This appears also to be the 
ease in San Pedro and other 
Fia. 1l.—a, Female fig flower with perfect stigma; 
b, gall flower with imperfect and greatly shortened 
stigma, adapted to the use of the wasp. From cap- 
rifig. 
figs, which regularly drop their second-crop figs. As far as micro- 
scopical structure is concerned their flowers are entirely similar to 
Fig. 12.—a, Perfect female 
fig flower from second 
crop San Pedro; b, its re- 
ceptive stigma. Thesec- 
ond crop of San Pedro 
matures only after cap- 
rification. 
those in the genuine Smyrna figs. That com- 
mon edible figs possess at least some female 
flowers is clearly demonstrated by the finding 
of fertile seed in many such figs in localities 
where caprifigs are grown spontaneously. But 
the small quantity of seeds found in common 
figs indicates that the quantity of perfect female 
flowers is small. 
In places where caprifigs are not growing 
wild—that is, where they are not growing spon- 
taneously from seed, it is very difficult to decide 
whether a flower is a true female flower or not, 
and the only practical way to ascertain it is to 
pollinate itand await the results of fertilization. 
A wild caprifig always indicates that pollination 
is taking place through the agency of wasps, as 
even the ecaprifig will not propagate itself spon- 
taneously from seed and become wild without 
their agency, as the pollen can not be transferred 
by the wind either to the female flowers of the 
eaprifig or the edible fig. 
As regards the structure of the female flowers, 
some slight variation is noticeable. The petals 
are generally four in number, but sometimes 
three or five. According to Solms-Laubach, the number is quite vari- 
able within the above limits, but, according to my own observations, 
