THE FKUIT. 37 



the light. They are then said to be " unilateral," or " secund." The 

 fox-glove and the Gladiolus shew it plainly. 



Bracts. 

 " Bracts " have been mentioned once or twice. They are small 

 leaves intermediate between the foliage of the plant and the calyx, 

 bearing much the same relation to the peduncle that the stipules bear 

 to the petiole. Sometimes they are very large and conspicuous, and 

 supply excellent discriminating marks both for species and families, 

 as happens with the fools' -parsley. There are cases where they emu- 

 late the petals, and are the handsomest and most highly-coloured part 

 of the floral organism, as in the Hydrangea, the clary, and the scarlet 

 Euphorbia. Fig. 71 shews their most usual form and position. 



THE FRUIT. 



After the root, the stem, and the leaves have fulfilled their duties 

 as stewards of the vegetable household, enlarging its fabric, and 

 maintaining it in health and vigour, — after the flower has been put 

 forth, and the stamens and pistils have executed their ofiice, and the 

 petals that were so bright and lovely have departed, and the glory 

 seems at an end, — the grandest event of all has yet to happen, and 

 that is the ripening of the fruit — the harvest-home of the spring and 

 summer labom'S. The fruit or seed-pod is the final production of the 

 plant. Everything that has preceded it has had more or less imme- 

 diate reference to it, just as all the activities and aspirations of a 

 man's social life have reference, though it may be unconsciously and 

 undesignedly, to domestic happiness in wife and children. Well did 

 the old poet call flowers and fruit the "joy of plants." Here, how- 

 ever, we are concerned with fruits as objects of practical Botany, and 

 must leave what in other places would be a pleasant theme ; reminding 

 the student, in the first place, that the fruit is the enlarged and per- 

 fected ovary ; and observing, that whatever the word " fruit " may 

 signify in ordinary speech, botanically it means the seed-pod in its 

 mature condition, whatever its substance, and whether fit to eat or 

 not. The nature of the fruit, as to structure at least, of course depends 

 upon that of the ovary. If the pistil be solitary, so will be the fruit ; 

 if there be many pistils, there will be many fruits ; if the ovary be 

 one -celled, in the ripe state it will be the same ; — and so on with 

 every other circumstance, though remarkable changes are sometimes 



