614 FIBRO-VASCULAR SYSTEM OF THP; APPLE, 



tribution of tlie fibro- vascular bundles. It is attached to the 

 end of the parent-branch by a longer or shorter stalk, and 

 this is the channel through which nourishment is conveyed. 

 If a longitudinal transverse section is made, it will show 

 the essential parts (Figs. 2, 6). 



The apple, unlike many other fruits, does not merely con- 

 sist of seeds enclosed in a case, but surrounding that case 

 there is the flesh of the apple. In the centre of the flower, 

 there is a five-chambered ovary, and each chamber encloses 

 normally two ovules. After fertilisation, the ovules become 

 the "pips" or seeds, so that there are five carpels constitut- 

 ing the true fruit, with thick fleshy walls, but the inner face 

 of each, bounding the seed-cavity, is smooth, firm, and car- 

 tilaginous in textui'e. 



The five carpels enclosing the seeds constitute what is 

 known as the "core" of the apple, but there is sometimes 

 confusion over this, since the term is loosely applied to the 

 five chambers containing the seeds, without including the 

 fleshy walls of the carpels as well. 



In each of the five carpels there is a wall of fleshy con- 

 sistence, with an inner lining of horny texture. The outer 

 boundary line is iisually distinctly marked in a transverse 

 section (Fig. 10), and each segment is more or less wedge- 

 shaped, tapering to a point at the centre, where they all 

 meet. 



The boundary is obvious to the naked eye, because the 

 cells composing it are different from those on each side. On 

 the outside, the cells ot the flesh are large and bladder-like : 

 while, on the inside, the cells are rather smaller, and more 

 elongated. The boundary itself consists of relatively small, 

 tangentially elongated cells : and no doubt the ditt'erence in 

 their size from those on either side, and the consequent 

 crowding of their contents, render them distinct. 



The flesh, covered by the skin, surrounds the core, and is 

 added in order to enhance the attractiveness of the fruit, 

 and increase the chances of the distribution of the seeds. 



