28 DICOTYLEDONS 



attracting insects. The want of show in inclividual flowers is 

 made np for by placing very large numbers of flowers close 

 together. 



4. AVhen the Fruit begins to grow, the stalk of the panicle 

 is not strong enough to hold it erect, so the fruit hangs down. 

 Even so it would never be able to nourish all the fruits which 

 might be expected from the number of flowers, ^'ature corrects 

 herself. As the fruits grow, nourishment is gradually directed 

 into from one to six of the most vigorous fruits^ and the rest 

 drop off gradually. 



The ripe fruit is slightly compressed and is beaked, the point 

 showing wdiere the style was. It contains a "fleshy", palatable 

 pulp under its leathery skin. The pulp sur- 

 rounds a woody one-seeded nut with a flbrous 

 beard. In the more inferior kinds these fibres 

 run right through the pulp. The whole fruit 

 is just a big drupe, like a peach or a plum. 

 5. If the Seed is to grow into a new tree 

 Fig. 25.— Trans- [^ must 1)0 caiTied away from the tree which 



verse section of a ^^^^.^ -^^ ^^ -^ ^^^^|^| ^^^ ^1^^,-^,^ ^^^^^1^^^. ^.j^^ ^^^^^^ 

 Mango drupe with , . ,, . , mi • • -i i 



shade ol the parent tree. ihis is provided 



seed. ^ _ ^ 



for by the delicious pulp covering the seed, 

 attracting men and animals to pick it up and carry it away. 

 The seed is protected at the same time by a hard shell, formed 

 by the inner part of the fruit cover (pericarp). We may notice 

 a further instance of Nature's care in that the fruit, until it is 

 ripe, is so acid that it cannot be eaten with any pleasure. Unripe 

 seeds do not grow well. 



Other ]\Iangoes. 



The Mango tree has some relatives aflbrding useful fruits. 

 One of these is the Cashew Nut (Auacardinm occidcuUde; Kan. 

 Geru; Mai. Karumavu; Tarn. Mundirikai; Tel. Jidimamidi; 

 Han. (Jophahara; Plate 054), an American tree, brought to India 

 by the Portuguese. What is generally called the fruit is the 

 swollen flower-stalk or receptacle which bears the nut at the 



