164 ARTOCARPiE. [part i. 



kin. Taken singly, each male flower consists of 

 a calyx divided into two sepals, and containing 

 a single stamen, with a two-celled anther, and 

 a very broad filament. The female flowers are 

 placed round a globular receptacle, also of a 

 spongy consistency ; and each consists of an 

 undivided calyx, hollow at the base to contain 

 the seed, and terminating in two styles. The 

 styles wither as the seeds gradually ripen, but 

 the peaks of the female flowers remain, and 

 render the surface of the fruit rough. The 

 fruit itself is the spongy receptacle, which gra- 

 dually dilates and becomes more pulpy, till it 

 attains a very large size. The greater part of 

 the ovules prove abortive, but those that ripen 

 retain their calyx, though they remain embedded 

 in the pulp. The proportion of ripe seeds is 

 very small compared to the size of the eatable 

 part of the bread-fruit ; frequently only four or 

 six seeds are found in a globe eight inches in 

 diameter ; and many fruits produce no seeds at 

 all. One variety, in particular, is always with- 

 out seeds. The fruit, when used, is generally 

 put into an oven or before a fire, and when the 

 rind turns black, it is scraped off*, and the pulp 

 is found to resemble the crumb of new bread. 

 The seedless fruits are considered the best to 

 eat, and they are known by the smoothness of 

 their outer surface. It adds to the interest ex- 



