Pollination 127 



"3. True hermaphrodites, with both male and female 

 organs developed. 



"4. Males with the female organs undeveloped. 



" 5. Males with the female organs only developed in a few 

 flowers, generally the first flowers produced in each truss. 



"6. Flowers with neither male or female organs de- 

 veloped, or with the female organs hypertrophied." 



All of these types are found in North American varie- 

 ties. Occasionally a single plant bears distinct pistillate 

 blossoms, distinct staminate blossoms, and all gradations 

 between, sometimes on the same truss. Practically 

 all of the cultivated varieties of to-day, however, belong 

 to classes one and three ; the blossoms are either female, 

 with the male organs not fully developed, or they are 

 hermaphrodite, with both male and female organs fully 

 developed. The other types of blossoms appear only 

 occasionally, as a result of unusual conditions in food 

 supply, temperature, or other factors in the environment. 

 Plants with true male blossoms, and the female organs 

 wholly abortive, were quite common before 1880. These 

 male plants were absolutely barren and were useful only 

 for pollinating female plants. Male plants still are 

 found in the Hautbois and, to a slight extent, in other 

 species. William P. Brooks has reported them in Japan 

 among the native Fragaria vesca. In England all varieties, 

 with the exception of the Hautbois, are hermaphrodite. 

 For practical purposes, all North American varieties are 

 either female or hermaphrodite. 



Terms used in describing sex. 



There has been much confusion in the terms used to 

 designate sex in strawberries. Hermaphrodite varieties 

 have been called "bisexual," "staminate," "perfect" 



