ON THE FEKTILIZATIO* 



22 



The external 



rf aoe is « > f 



r 



*.,rface i* of a beautiful oncK ea a j the r tacular fl M 



that of the mature gall -receptacles ever , As m the «eo I 



Mnr!*d a maturation approaches, and in fully npe u^ j ^ y 



^fa" is beautifully coloured, the bright yellow achenes shming through the 



material into which the outer coats of the ovaries have become 



the warm red colour of the stigmata and perianths. The 



it 



interior 



transparent 



■lat 



Ived. and contra 



of 



of the reccptacular wall is pale jrink (Plate III, tog. T) 



J> 



Charar.ten of mature fe>wle receptacles to which insects have not gained 



If insects fail to gain access at the time when the receptacles are ready for them, very 

 little cban-e usually occurs during maturation save a gradual change of colour in the stigmatic 

 surface to a strong brick red and a gradual drying up of all the tissues. A slight increase in 

 thickness of the stratum of flowers may take place, but due merely to elongation of the 

 pedicel and n< >t as a rule to any ovarian enlargement. In certain cases, however, phenomena 

 parallel to those occurring in those gall-flower receptacles, in which considerable growth of the 



(lower* OCeurt after the period for access of insects, but where access has not taken 



present themselves. Id these a general enlargement of the flowers evidently takes 



i, ai I a varying, but sometimes considerable, number of the ovaries becomes conspicuously 



nkrged forming in the first place a series of brilliant white eminences on the general red 



f the stinnatic surface where the affected flowers are pedicellate (Plate III, ^g. 3), and 



iltimately in outward appearance coming to be identical with normal ripe ones, save that 



tho outer coats of the ovary do not soften and gelatinize, and therefore do not allow th 

 bright j How of the sclerosed inner ones to shine quite so clearly through them. The growth 

 ol i henes in such cases only occurs in isolated flowers, and never over the entire surface 

 as after insect access, and it is unaccompanied by any accumulation of fluid within the 



,,t 



a circumstance which is probably causally related to the defectiv 



softening of the outer coats of the ovaries noted above. The general thickness of the floral 

 stratum in such receptacles may amount to 0*17/' and the ovaries may be arranged in four or 

 five tiers. Achene formation may occur in sessile as well as in pedicellate flowers, and 



when it occurs in tali specimens of the latter, the mature achenes project somewhat abo 



the £ mral surface. 



The flotvers of Metis Roxburghii. 



In proce ding to a description of the several kinds of flowers present in the receptacles 

 of Ficus Roxburghii, it is again necessary to give details regarding the phenomena present at 

 different periods and under the influence of different conditions. 



Malk Flowers. 



1 



Characters at the period for access of insects to the receptacle. 



«k4 



The stamens are at this time enclosed within three complete coverings. Externally 

 a large sheathing bract, which forms a hood over the summit of the entire flower and 

 utmost presents a mere Assure at one side { Plate IV, fig. 8). Within this is a complete 





