OF FICUS EOXBUEGHII 



29 



specially extens.on m their area, has occurred. The external epidermis is thickly circularized 

 and the walls of the internal epidermis and the stratum external to it are considerably 

 thickened. There is no softening of the external strata of c Us similar to that occurring in 

 the ovaries of true female flowers during maturation. 



The total increase in bulk of the gall-flowers during maturation is enormous, and far 

 exceeds that occurring m the case of the true female ones. The ovaries ultimat ly become 

 about three times as large as they were at the period of insect access, and in many cases 

 there is excessive growth in the pedicels. The actual length of pedicels in mature "flowers 

 varies greatly. In some cases the flowers remain almost or quite sessile; in others t j 

 pedicels may be as much as eight times longer than they are in any pedicellate flowers at 

 the period of access. There is little or no increase in size in either the perianth rtb 



tyle and stigma subsequent to insect access. In mature flowers the perianth forms a met 

 cup around the base of the enlarged and projecting ovary, and the styles, in place of b< 

 at one side of the apex, arise so far down the lateral surfaces that the stigmas are Mtuated at 

 lower level than the now rounded summits of the ovaries (Plate II, fig. 3). 



6 



0. — Characters of g all* flowers in mature receptacles to which insect* hat 



not attained access. 



A certain amount of growth occurs, so that the flowers externally come to res ruble those 

 in receptacles shortly after the access of insects. The following are the measurements of a 

 tall pedicellate flower : 



2 707 mm. 

 156 mm. 



1G8 mm. 



Total height from base of pedicel to stigma . . 



Height to lower part of ovary 



Height to base of ovule 



Height from level of origin of perianth to top of ovary 108 mm. 



Length of style 0-627 mm. 



Diameter of stigma 0-313 mm. 



Diameters of ovule 0-4275 x 285 mm 



The ovule is reduced to the condition of a dry thin-walled sac surrounding the large 

 empty cavity of the embryo-sac. The increased size of the flowers is mainly due to growth m 

 the pedicels, as the perianth still curves over the top of the ovary. 



HI. —True Female Flowers 



A.-Charactcrs of female flowers at the period of access of insects to the receptacle. 



(Plate IJ, Jigs. 5 



j 







As in the case of the gall-flowers, while the size of the ovaries is WHy «£«** U« 

 stage, that of the flowers as a whole varies considerably, due to the fact that whxle some are 

 sessile, others have pedicels of varying length (Plate HI, fig- 5> 



