FIGS 



213 



Tarring, the Fig grows and bears most abun- 

 dantly as a standard. In parts of the country, 

 where the rigours of severe winters are not 



Fig. 1011.— Fig (Ficus Carica). 



mitigated by the sea-breeze, Fig-trees, if not 

 protected, are occasionally killed down to the 

 ground; but although this be the case, vigor- 

 ous suckers push up again and form plants. 

 When the thermometer, for several successive 

 nights, falls to about zero, the old wood is 

 killed, and at 10° Fahr. the extremities of the 

 young shoots are mostly destroyed. Like the 

 Grape-vine, the Fig-tree can bear, as it does in 

 the countries to which it is indigenous, a very 

 hot summer, but, as appears from the above, 

 not a severe winter, such as the wood of the 

 Grape-vine, if previously well matured, with- 

 stands uninjured. 



The remarkable character of what is known 

 as the fruit of the Fig is clearly set forth in 

 the following passages from Kerner and Oliver's 

 Natural History of Plants: — Looking at a Fig 

 that has been cut open lengthwise (fig. 1012) 

 it is observed that it is not a simple flower, but 

 rather a whole collection of flowers enclosed in 

 an urn or pear-shaped receptacle, which is 

 really a hollow inflorescence bearing numerous 

 flowers on its inner wall. The orifice of the 

 urn is small and surrounded by small scales. 

 The flowers, which are very simple in structure, 

 almost fill the entire cavity; they are of two 

 kinds, male and female. Each male flower is 

 composed of several stamens, which are sup- 

 ported by scales and borne on a short stalk (k). 

 The female flower is a one-celled ovary con- 

 taining a single ovule. ... In one form 



of F. Carica the inflorescences contain female 

 flowers only: this is known as Ficus; in the 

 other the inflorescences contain male flowers 

 near the opening, and gall flowers lower down : 

 this is known as Caprificus. The latter do not 

 produce seeds, but are utilized by a small species 

 of wasp (Blastophaga grossorum) as a receptacle 

 for its eggs, the larva from which occupies the 

 place of the seed, and a gall is formed. The 

 wasps which deposit the eggs carry the pollen 

 from the male flowers into the inflorescences 



a, Twig with inflorescence of Ficus pumila ; the urn-shaped inflorescence 

 (or synconium) cut through longitudinally, b, Single female flower from 

 the bottom of the synconium of Ficris pumila. e, d. Stamens of the same 

 plant from the upper part of the synconium. a, Synconium of Ficus Carica 

 full of gall-flowers produced by Blastophaga, cut through longitudinally; 

 near the mouth of the cavity is a Fig-wasp (BlastopJiaga grossorum) which 

 has escaped from one of the galls, h, Synconium of Ficus Carica full of 

 female flowers, cut through longitudinally: near the mouth of the cavity 

 are two Fig-wasps, one of which has already crept into the cavity, whilst the 

 second is about to do so. l\ Male flower, e, A liberated Blastophaga gros- 

 sorum. f, The same magnified, o, e, g, h, natural size ; 6, c, d. I- X 5; /x 8. 



containing normal female flowers, and these are 

 fertilized and form seeds. 



