22 



POISONOUS PLANTS 



the fruit ; but in the rose, the cup or *' hep " is full 

 of free carpels which can be picked out of this 



" receptacular tube," as it is called ; 

 as may be seen in Fig. 4. 



Yet one more condition may 

 exist. In the preceding cases the 

 carpels can be removed and the 

 cup will be left behind. But, in 

 the case of the pear, apple (Fig. 5), 

 gooseberry, currant (Fig. 6), etc., 

 the receptacular tube has grown in 

 adhesion to the carpels within it, 

 so that it cannot now be separated. 

 Thus in the apple the carpels 

 form the "core"; but the edible portion is mainly 

 " flower- stalk," i. e. the adherent receptacular tube. 



Fig. 4. Vert. sec. of 

 flower of Rose. 



Fig, 5. Vert. sec. of Apple. Fig. 6. Vert. sec. of flower of Currant. 



As the flower looks as if it grew on the top of 

 the ovary, this latter is said to be "inferior," i.e. 

 "below" the flower. 



