4B 



ESSENTIALS OF VEGETABLE PHARMACOG^OSY. 



Lie, to lacilitato transportation by wind 

 or other agencies, as has already been 

 shown. 



Such a state havinj^ boon attained, the 

 action of the wind upon them is next se- 

 cured through the development of an ex- 



tightly to anything which they may pierce. 

 In the case of the burdock (Fig. 2G0) it is 

 an involucre which bears such hooks. Sim- 

 ilar hooks are found upon the outer wall 

 of the ovary itself in many cases. Some- 

 times the style is recurved at the apex, 



paudcdsurfaceof some kind, commonly a thus forming a terminal hook, while at 



wing or plume. In the Machaerium (Fig. 

 244) it is the entire wall of the ovary, in its 



oriirinal nature a pod. like that of the bean, 

 which becomes developed into a wing. In 



the elm (Fig. 246) it is likewise the ova- 

 rian wall. In the carrot (Fig. 247) and the 

 Polygonum 'Fig. 248) it is an enclosing 



others (Fig. 261) the apex, after perform- 

 ing the stigmatic function, falls away, but 

 leaves a hooked lower joint to become * f- 

 feetive in the fruit. The attachment is not 

 always thus secured by means of distinc- 

 tively piercing appendages. The surface 

 may be rendered adhesive in other wayB 



accrescent calyx. In Tiptoptera (Fig. 249) seen in the minute structures covering the 



it is two accrescent lobes of such a calyx. fruit of Desmodium. 



We shall next consider another large 



class of fruits which depend for +heir 

 transportation upon the possession of edi- 

 ble pericarps or edible portions of them. 

 Such fruits may be eaten with the con- 

 tained seed, as in the case of the straw- 



In the Zinnia (Fig. 251) a persistent co- 

 rolla performs the same office. In the hop 

 <Fig. 252) an accrescent bract is made to 

 serve the office of a sail. The fruit of the 

 Cardiospermum represents a class in which 

 the thin pericarp, instead of being ex- 



, , . : . ' -^ ;,.fl,^^/i Jnfr. .. v*ni berrv or small cherries, in which case 

 panded into a wmg, is inflated into a bal- .«-_^„^ ^.,.:.,. .i... ,....p. 



loon-shaped receptacle, subserving a sim 

 ilar purpose. Plumes, consisting of the 



transportation is effected during the proc- 

 ess of digestion of the pericarp; or, as in 

 the case of the peach and plum, the fruit 



though concealed by a circinate praeflora- 

 tion. from the tioweriu^^ stage, while in 

 the Phyllactis it is not developed until 



Fig. ati 



modiaed persistent calyx, are seen in the tiie case or tne peacn ana P'"^^; -^ -7 



Valerian (Fig. 254), where it is present, ^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ P^^^^^^' ^^^f"^' 

 ^ ^ B /. ^ _ ' iiig for transportation upon carnage by a 



parent to its young. In still other case» 

 they are of such a nature that they can be 

 carried and stored for winter use. The 

 edible portion is in some cases, as in that 

 of the banana, highly nutritious, while in 

 others it is apparently eaten merely for its 

 palatability or for its thirst-quenching 

 properties. Some special form of protec- 

 tion is commonly required for the seeds of 

 edible fruits. That of the peach is en- 

 closed in a hard stone, so that it slmll not 

 be abraded as the pulp is pecked or bitten 

 away. Those of the cherry and straw- 

 berry are enclosed in similar hard co.its, 

 which resist the digestive process as well. 

 The more or less laxative or purgative 

 properties of many fruits doubtless con- 

 tribute to such protection by the more 

 prompt dejection of the seeds which is 

 brought about by their action. 



The origin of the edible portion is vari- 

 ous. In the strawberry (Fig. 262) it is the 

 complete torus, and this only. In the 

 blackberry (Fig. 263) such a torus is com- 

 bined with a partially fleshy ovarian wall 

 upon each of the ripened pistils. In ♦he 

 rose (Fig. 46) it is a similar receptacle, 



after fructification begins. A plumose 

 ttyle is seen in Pulsatilla (Fig. 255). 

 We shall next note the cases, poriiaps 

 even more numerous, wherein use is made 

 of passing bodies by providing such ap- 

 pendages as shall serve to attach the fruit 

 to them. Fig. 256 represents the fruit of 

 a Rumex, in which the calyx is divided 

 into hooks for this purpose. Fig. 257 

 shows another species, in which this 

 method is combined with wind transporta- 

 tion, a combination which is very common 



The accrescent 



among the Umbelliferae. 



iFig. 



calyx teeth (awns) of Verbesina 

 258) are adapted to piercing passing bod- 

 ies, while at the same time the adnate 

 tube is winged. In Bidens (Fig. 259) sim- 

 ilar awns are barbed and adhere very 



but hollowed, probably with other ele- 



