OP FICUS BOXBUKGHI1 



U 



Over the summit of the ovary the total thicknoM Up * i 

 t0 the increased accumulation of hypodermal tissue there. 7 *"*"' ^^ d 





The ovules are both much larger, and also evidently at a more ad ^ 

 evolution than they are in the gall-flowers of gall-receptacles at the periods 



insects 



stage of 



ECCdtS 



The measurements of specimens of average dimensions when freshly removed W 

 the ovaries and not compressed are 0-3420 x 0-1995 mm Tn „i , " 



more or less rounded outline like the ovules of sail-flowers At a ^ ~ V SOTT1 "? m a 



toy h „. . ,o„ g o r , „» (P1 . le „ % , , P „ t ; Vi —■• sssft! a 



to the ovule much lower down than it is in gall-flowers, this being related to the fa* 



of the lateral in place of apical insertion of the style, as the origin ,f the funicle is here 



as in the gall-flowers, invariably situated just below the base of the latter. In < onsequenc 

 of this the raphe is of course relatively short. The ovule as a whole stands almost en 

 in the ovarian cavity, with only a slight inclination to the stylar side; but the nuc is 

 is curved so far as to bring the micropyle almost vertically over the funicular insert ion 

 (Plate II, fig- 6). The free portion of the funicle is very short, and the fibre- vascular bund 

 is curved sharply downwards and continued in a raphe to the base of tho ovule, where the; 

 vessels become continuous with a mass of spiral cells, which form a cup-like expansion ov< 

 the latter. The iibro- vascular bundle of the funicle arises at some distance below the base of 

 the ovary, due to dichotomy of that of the axis, and curves outwards, upwards and inwards, 

 so as to reach the cavity of the ovary just beneath the level of the ori in of the i 

 (Plate II, 1ig. 6). The other bundle resulting from the dichotomy ascends on tho opposit 

 side of the ovary, and tapers off and disappears at a level corresponding to that at which its 





neighbour enters the ovarian cavity (Plate II, fig. G). The origin of the funicular fibfo- 

 vascular bundle is certainly not of this character in the true female flowers of all spc es of 

 ficus. For example, in those of F. hispida there is no dichotomy of the axial bundle, but 

 the latter, as a whole, is diverted to one side and continued as the funicular one. 



, **« «, »uv»v, 



The secundine consists of elongated cells with their long axes parallel to that of the 





ovary (Plate V, fig. 1). The cell-walls are thin, the cytoplasm scanty, and the nucleus 

 small and staining feebly, with logwood or carmine. Its thickness varies greatly over 



different parts of the surface of the nucellus. It is thinnest over the side opposite that 

 to which the funicle is attached, and in great part here contains only two strata of cells 

 It is also relatively thin over the base of the nucellus. On the side of attachment of 

 the funicle it attains its greatest thickness, a prominent ridge passing upwards from the 

 site where the funicle passes into the raphe to the micropyle, and gradually subsiding on 

 either side and towards the latter. It leaves a large micropyle through which a thick 



mass of cells belonging to the nucellar epidermis projects (Plate V, fig. 1). 



The characters of the nucellus are somewhat peculiar and require detailed d scription. 



The epidermal stratum varies greatly in thickness and in the character of its constituent 



cells in different places. Except at the base and true apex of the nucellus, it is thin, 

 containing not more than from one to three strata of very minute, elongated cells with 

 their long axes parallel to that of the ovule (Plate V, figs. 1,21). They contain relatively 

 large nuclei, which stain deeply with logwood or picrocarmine, the cell walls acquiring a 

 brownish tint with the latter reagent (Plate V, fig. 8). At the base it thickens out into a 

 solid mass of cells, which rests as in a cup in the expansion composed of spiral cells in 

 which the spiral vessels of the raphe terminate, and is in contact above with tho thick basal 



portion of the delicate cellular tissue surrounding the embryo-sac (Plate V, figs. 7, 21). At the 



