6 
The Bulletin 
II. Morphological Differences in the Blowers of 
Yitis Botundifolia 
Grape flowers can be divided into three general classes or types: 
1. The perfect hermaphrodite flower. 
2. The staminate or “male” flower. 
3. The imperfect hermaphrodite or “female” flower. 
PiG. 1.—Three different types of flower clusters and flowers; on the left, staminate; in the 
middle, hermaphrodite with reflexed stamens; on the right, hermaphrodite with upright 
stamens. Natural size. 
These types may be briefly described as follows: 
After the petals, or “caps” as the united petals of a grape flower are 
called, have fallen, the perfect hermaphrodite flower consists essentially 
of a normal pistil and five or more upright stamens. Each pistil is 
functional and under proper conditions is capable of setting and develop¬ 
ing a normal fruit. The stamens are strong and healthy. The filaments 
equal or exceed the combined length of the ovary, style, and stigma. 
They are stout and fairly symmetrically developed about their longi¬ 
tudinal axes. At the base of the ovary and between the stamens are 
situated the nectar glands, which secrete nectar, attractive to insects. 
The staminate or “male” flowers are hermaphrodite flowers in which 
the pistils have been almost or wholly suppressed. It is almost super¬ 
fluous to say that such flowers never produce fruit. 
The imperfect hermaphrodite flowers are hermaphrodite flowers which 
are abnormal in one or more of the floral parts. In this type of flower 
the pistil has become more strongly developed by an enlargement of the 
ovary, a corresponding thickening of the style, and an enlargement of 
