GENERAL REQUIREMENTS. 13 



male flower in which the white scales (petals and sepals) had not 

 opened out. On dissecting it, however, it will be found that the 

 central and main part of the flower is formed of three solid bodies 

 closely applied to each other on their adjacent faces and forming 

 what appeared like one oval body. Each of these three solid 

 bodies is called a " carpel," and contains a structure called an 

 " ovule " which when fertilised by the pollen gives rise to a seed, 

 the carpel giving rise to the edible part of the fruit at the same 

 time. At the bases of the three carpels are six scale-like structures 

 similar to the protecting scaly sepals and petals found in the male 

 flower, but very much smaller and clinging very closely to the 

 carpels. A mass of female flowers therefore never has the very 

 waxy white appearance which amass of open male flowers has. 



9. At a distance the flower -clusters may be distinguished 

 by the fact that the small branches in the male 



Brief comparison , t i n i 



of male and female cluster are about 6 inches long and densely 

 crowded at the end of the axis, while those of 



the female are usually twice or more times that 

 length and less densely crowded at the end of the axis (see illustra- 

 tions Nos. 15 and 16, pages 12a & 126). When the flowers newly- 

 open they may also be distinguished at a distance by the waxy 

 white colour of the male flowers and the more yellowish hue and 

 less crowded appearance of the female flowers. If taken in the 

 hand at this stage a dense cloud of pollen dust will be produced 

 from the male cluster by a slight shake, while none will come 

 from the female cluster. Also six stamens with six comparatively 

 large waxy-looking scales will constitute each male flower, while 

 the female flower will be composed of three carpels closely applied 

 to each other forming what looks like a single solid oval body 

 and having six very tiny scales closely applied to its base (see 

 illustrations Nos. 17 and 18, pages 12c & 12d). The flower-clusters 

 can also be distinguished at that stage by their smell. 



10. The above is the usual condition of affairs, but in my 

 Hermaphrodite tours in Multan, Muzaffargarh, and Dera Ghazi 



flowers and poly- m T i 



trees. Knan in the date flowering seasons, 1 nave 



