THE fl^dERICp BOTPIST. 
Vol. IX. BINGHAMTON. X. Y., XOVEMBER. 1905. Xo. 5. 
THE FRUITING OF THE PAPAW. 
BY \VILL.'\Kr) N. CLUTE. 
TT IS well known that the papaw {Asimina triloba), 
Uhou-h proiUicing .several pistils in each Hoover, rarely 
exceed in-ly rare occurence for any flower to produce more 
than a single fruit, and by far the lari^er number of flowers, 
at least near the plant's northern limit, fail to produce 
fruit at all. Something similar occurs in the case of the 
milk-weed which after a great display offlowers can us- 
ually show not more than two or three seed -pods. 
The milk-weed's lack of fertility is supposed to be due 
to irs specialized methi^d of pollination which is successful 
oniv ill rare cases, but the papaw is pollinated much as 
oru'iuarv plants are and one would think might even \yi 
.self-pollinaLed were it not that the pistils are somewhat 
longer than the st;miens. The stigmas appear, however, 
to ri[)en a trifle earlier than the anthers and this with the 
difference in length points to the conclusion that the 
dowers are adapted for cross pollination. If this is true, 
we reasoned, the lack of fruits might be due to the absence 
ing CO test this theory, we cros< |)o]liri;ite(l a large number 
of tlowers ])v hand. li-. >;)r:n^-, .ind were pleased to tind 
thr.tthe theorv api,e;-> tobc correct. In many cases half 
;i ,;>.;:en or more fruits starteiMVom a single blossom. 
pjd from the plant when not more than an inch in length. 
Whether the shrub lacked the vitality to bring them to 
maturity, or whether the pistils were not adequateh- pol- 
inated remains to be discovered another season. That a 
lack of proper insects for pollinating the flowers is at the 
