BOTANICAL SUBJECTS. 



313 



pedicelled ; in some species, separated from each other by scales or 

 bracteoles, and in others by hairs analogous to the paleai of the 

 receptacle of Compositae. In others no appendages are apparent. 

 Five kinds of flowers are found, \iz., male, pseudo-hermaphrodite, 

 neuter, fertile female, and gall flowers." "With the latter we have 

 nothing to do here, as they occur only in connection -with insects. 

 A perusal of Dr. King's interesting work jDroduces in the evolu- 

 tionist a " moral conviction " that the receptacle of the fig is only a 

 further development of the conceptacle of the seaweed ; that the 

 male and female florets are only a further development of the spores 

 and antheridia contained in the conceptacle ; that in both the hairs 

 are probably only atrophied male or female organs. Moreover, 

 we find that both conceptacle and Jig are found to contain {a) 

 male and female florets, (b) unisexual florets on the same plant, 

 and (c) unisexual florets on different plants. 



To the evolutionist no better example of homology can be 

 found than between the receptacle of the fig and the conceptacle of 

 the seaweed. But to the botanist who has not accepted evolution 

 from its foundation — the cell — to its mnth. power of transfor- 

 mation, the whole story may appear a laughable vision I 



Fig. 133. Ideal seaweed — the rudiment of a fig tree (a seaweed not 

 unlike this is given in Esper's "Icones fucorum," Tab. 3) : (a) conceptacle or 

 rudimentary fig as an axillary bud, (6) cladophyl. 



