256 



General Botany 



Economic importance of flowers 

 and fruits. The economic value 

 of flowers lies chiefly in their use 

 for decorative purposes, but cer- 

 tain flower clusters like the ar- 

 tichoke, pineapple, and cauli- 

 flower are used as fruits or vege- 

 tables. The fruit industry needs 

 only to be mentioned to call to 

 mind the vast scale upon which 

 plants are grown for their fleshy 

 edible fruits. It should be noted 

 that ripe fruits are made up largely 

 of water pleasantly flavored with 

 sugar, dilute acids, and aromatic 

 substances. The amount of food 

 actually present is not large. 

 Most fruits contain from 10 to 15 

 per cent of carbohydrates, i to 2 

 per cent of proteins and fat. Per- 

 simmons and bananas run somewhat higher in carbohydrates ; 

 olives and avocados may contain as much as 10 per cent of oil. 

 Fruits are valuable chiefly for the variety which they add to 

 our diet. Through canning, preserving, and drying they are 

 made available at all seasons of the year. 



The coconut fruit when mature consists of a thick, fibrous husk 

 surrounding the seed. This fruit is an important source of coarse 

 fibers, both in the tropics and in temperate regions. Several 

 million pounds are annually imported into America and manu- 

 factured into door mats, floor mats, and coarse brushes. 



The olive is the source of olive oil, which is extensively produced 

 in Spain, Italy, and California. In recent years it has been 

 partly replaced as a salad ofl by cottonseed and corn ofls, or 

 mixtures of them. 



U. S. Dept. of Agriculture 



Fig. 164. Persimmon fruits. The per- 

 simmon grows wild over a large part 

 of the Southeastern states, and im- 

 proved varieties are now cultivated. 



