HILUM, THK SCAR. 29* 



between the Membrana and the Testa, 

 constituting a pulpy seed, se?nen baccatum, 

 which is distinct from ihe Acinus, or grain 

 of a compound berry in the Raspberry, 

 the seed of the latter having its prorper 

 double covering within the pulp. The 

 Testa bursts irregularly, and only from the 

 ^swelling of its contents in germination. 



Hilum, the Scar, is the point by which 

 the seed is attached to its seed-vessel or 

 receptacle, and through which alone life 

 and nourishment are conveyed for the per- 

 fectiiig its internal parts. Consequently^ 

 all tiiose parts must be intimately con- 

 nected with the inner surface of this scar, 

 and they are all found to meet there, and 

 to divide or divaricate from that foint, 

 more or less immediately. In describing 

 the form or various external portions of 

 any seed, the lillum is always to be con- 

 sidered as the base. When the seed is 

 quite ripe, the communication through this 

 channel is interrupted : it separates from 

 the parent plant without injury, a Scar 

 being formed on each. Yet the Jlihun is 



