INSECTS AND FLOWERS 205 



the presence of small leafy scales. The flowers, 

 which are simple in structure, almost fill the 

 entire cavity ; they are of two kinds, male and 

 female. Each male flower is composed of one 

 or two rarely from three to six stamens, 

 which are supported by scales, and are borne 

 on a short stalk. In many species, as for 

 instance, in Ficus pumila, the stamens are 

 spoon-shaped and have the anthers embedded 

 in the concavity of the spoon. The female 

 flowers possess a unilocular ovary containing 

 a single ovule. The style is inserted rather to 

 one side of the ovary, and terminates in a 

 stigma, which is variously formed. At the base 

 of the ovary are to be seen a few small scales 

 which vary in number, and may be regarded as 

 the perianth. Many species have two kinds of 

 female flower in the same urn or synconium, 

 viz. some with long styles and developed 

 stigmas, and some with shorter styles and 

 abortive stigmas. The latter are called ' gall- 

 flowers,' for a reason that will presently be 

 explained. The relative distribution of male 

 and female flowers is very different in different 

 species. In the inflorescences of the India- 

 rubber Fig (Ficus elastica) the male and female 

 flowers are apparently mixed together pro- 

 miscuously ; in that of Ficus pumila the female 

 flowers only are found in the lower part of the 

 cavity, and only male flowers near the mouth. 

 This distribution is the most usual, but yet 

 another difference exists in respect of the 

 number of male flowers. In the synconia of 

 many species the male flowers occur in large 



