160 ME. 0. C. BABINarON ON THE 



Those of the Capreolatce which it is necessary to consider on 

 this occasion are the following : F. pallidiflora, F. Borcei, and F. 

 confusa of Jordan, and F. muralis of Sender. All of these appear 

 to inhabit Britain, and they are also found in the neighbouring 

 parts of Europe. Their fruit is nearly, although not always, en- 

 tirely smooth. It is chiefly when the fruit is quite dry that a 

 slight roughness may be occasionally detected; but, as was re- 

 marked above, in no case do they acquire the tubercular-rugose 

 coat of the plants grouped as the Agrarice. 



Mr. A. Jordan appears to have been the first to point out a most 

 valuable character which distinguishes one of these species, the 

 F, confusa^ in a remarkable manner, and which is applicable also 

 to the others, although less conspicuously. The base of the fruit 

 is furnished with a fleshy mass by which it is attached to the pe- 

 dicel. The size and relative proportion of this mass (which may 

 be called the hase) to the fruit itself, and to the enlarged tip of the 

 pedicel, can only be seen when the fruit is fresh (although it may 

 be restored tolerably completely by softening the specimens in 

 boiling water), and has therefore been overlooked by botanists. 

 In F. confusa this hase is so large as to be very nearly as broad as 

 the broadest part of the fruit, and exceeds in width the slightly 

 enlarged tip of the pedicel. In F. Bored it is very narrow and 

 nearly as long as broad, forming a kind of stalk to the fruit. It 

 is much narrower than the rather remarkably enlarged tip of the 

 pedicel. In F. palUdiflora the tip of the pedicel is not much en- 

 larged, and very slightly exceeds in width the base of the fruit, 

 which seems to be rather broader, but at the same time rather 

 shorter and less conspicuous than that of F. JBorcei. In F. muralis 

 the tip of the pedicel is enlarged and is rather thicker than the 

 base of the fruit, which is not nearly so broad nor so conspicuous 

 as that of F. confusa. It widens gradually upwards, so as to give 

 to the whole fruit a pyriform shape when fresh, — ^the line of sepa- 

 ration between the true carpel and the "base " being only faintly 

 marked. In F. confusa the limits of these parts are clearly defined. 



There is a character furnished by the little pits at the top of the 

 fruit (one pit being placed upon each side of the base of the style) 

 which is probably of value. They are not very conspicuous on 

 the fresh fruit, but show themselves obviously after its outer coat 

 has shrunk in drying. In F. palUdiflora and F. Borcei these pits 

 are small, deep, and nearly round ; in F. confusa they are broad 

 and shallow ; in F. muralis they are usually so very shallow as 

 often to be scarcely visible. 



