232 Dr HAMILTON on the Structure of the Fruit 



fectly unilocular, with three pair of longitudinal receptacula ad- 

 hering to the parietes. 



In some cases, the two membranes of which each receptacu- 

 lum consists, continue united, until they terminate at the parie- 

 tes by one or two thickened longitudinal margins, as may be seen 

 in the common cucumber (Fig. 8.), as usually eaten when half 

 ripe. In others, the membranes separate, sometimes before they 

 reach the parietes, and then extending at an angle to each other, 

 leave a surface on each side towards the general cavity of the 

 cell, on which surface the seeds are inserted, as in the Cummin 

 called Gurmi by the Bengalese (Fig. 9.) At other times the 

 membranes do not separate until they reach the parietes, when 

 they are turned back towards the centre of the general cell, and 

 have the seeds inserted either on their sides (Fig. 1. d), or on 

 their edges, as in the Trichosanthes called by the Bengalese 

 Bhungi kumra (Fig. 10.) 



I have said that very often the central parts of the mem- 

 branes composing the receptacula disappear, leaving only the 

 parts next to the parietes, to which the seeds adhere ; but in other 

 cases the whole membranes remain ; and, separating from each 

 other in the centre as the fruit ripens, leave there an empty 

 spacte, with the pulpy matter included in three cells, as it were, 

 between three portions of the parietes and the three membranes 

 of the receptacula. Traces of this structure may be observed in 

 GARTNER'S figure of the Cucurbita Pepo (t. 88.) ; but in sections 

 of the Cucumis Melo and C. sativus, when fully ripe, it is very re- 

 markable (Fig. 11.) Finally, in other cases, the receptacula and 

 septa entirely disappearing in the ripe fruit, leave the central parts 

 of the parenchymatous matter in form of a columnar receptacu- 

 lum, having the seeds imbedded among pulp, between it and the 

 external parietes. These rows are sometimes six in number, a 

 row having proceeded from each side of each receptaculum. In 

 other cases, as in the Momordicu called Khaska by the Benga- 



