OF FICUS ROXDUEGHII 



O 



The ovule presents a more or less rounded outline, due to th. „„,» ., • , 

 and of the seeundine of the funicular side at this iTlitT'T^^^' 

 The free portion of the funiele is very fi hor, ^l^^^li * J 



mm. in breadth 



mm. in length by 009 



It arises immediately beneath the base of the stvle an.1 +1,* ru , , . 



abruptly downwards, and is continued in a raphe to T^S^Tl" ^ 2" 

 (Plate IV, fig. 19). The thickness of the seeundine 2»XrlZl L I T. """""S 

 the npperpartof the nncellus isvery grea t ; so, rfi at, inlact 7^ ££2£,2 , 



the taickness was measured at the point of greatest depth it was 0-04 mm. The entire 

 ovule m flu. sp cxmen was 0-20 mm. m length by 0-15 mm. in breadth, and the nuce luTl Z 



lm S L Th I TV ^^ n readth ° f °' 09 m -'-^ "thin the mic, of 

 0-06 mm The secundum especially on the funicular aspect, a, : ,cars to be but loos ly 



connected ™P<*noriy wtth the nucellus, and tends to separate more or less from it toward, th 

 mmropye (Plate IV, fig. 19). The nucellus is erect or slightly inclined outward,, and , 

 practically straight, its apex facing the under surface of the wall of the top of the ovary (1 late 

 IV, fig. 19). The micropyle, as the measurements given above sb.w, is relatively ^ y la, 

 The epidermal stratum of the nucellus presents a general resemblance to that of the ovule, in 

 the normal female flowers, being thin and composed of flattened cells over the great r part 

 of the surface, and forming a conspicuously thickened mass which plugs the orilice of the 



pyle. This plug is not, however, so thick as in the female flowers, and is apparently 







of looser texture than in them. Within the epidermal coat a stratum of lo so I 



1* 



is present around the embryo-sac. It also generally resembles that present in the ovules 

 of the normal female flowers, but at the same time it does not form a definite dense 

 cap over the apex of the embryo-sac as it does in them, there being merely a certain 

 thickening of the common loose tissue there. 



B. — Characters of gall- flowers subsequent to access of insects to the receptacle. 



The following figures show the measurements of a gall-flower shortly after ae •* f 

 insects to the receptacle, and containing an insect's ovum which as yet showed no signs of 



gmentat 



Total height from base of pedicel to summit of the stigma . . . 2*850 mm. 



Height from base of pedicel to summit of ovary 2*7075 mm 



Length of style along the inner side . 0*4275 mm. 



Length of pedicel below the origin of the pearinth 1*282 



Transverse diameter of ovary 



05700 



Ovules at this stage have an obovate form, and when removed from the ovaries and 

 collapsed, due to extraction of the fluid from the interior of the embryo-sac in the course of 

 preparation, measure about 0'8 x 0'6 mm., and in their normal condition about 0*8 x 0*57. 



From the above figures it is evident that the deposition of ova causes a very rapid and 



increase in the size of the flowers generally, the increase being invariable 



siderable 



in the ovaries and ovules, but in many cases occurring in the axis also, and determining very 

 conspicuous elongation of the pedicels. The enlargement in the ovules appears for the 

 most part to be due to mere extension of pre-existent cell elements under the influence of 

 distention of the embryo-sac, due to a large accumulation of fluid within its cavitv ; but a 



