144 Plants and their Ways in South Africa 



but the seeds are kept within the closed fruit until the rain 

 comes, when they are released to germinate. 



The apricot, grape, date, and water-melon are fleshy or 



Fig. 159. — Longitudinal section through the 

 unilocular drupe of the Peach. (From 

 Thome and Bennett's "Structural and 

 Physiological Botany.") 



Fig. 160. — Transverse 

 section through a Goose- 

 berry ; the firmer outer 

 layer of the pericarp en- 

 closes the succulent 

 flesh ; the seeds lie em- 

 bedded in the latter, and 

 are attached by long 

 funiculi to two opposite 

 parietal placentae. (From 

 Thome and Bennett's 

 " Structural and Physio- 

 logical Botany.") 



C-.. 



succulent fruits. Since succulent fruits are formed in different 

 ways, different names are given them. In these fruits the 

 three parts of which the wall of the ovary is made is more 



easily distinguished than in dry 

 ones. In the apricot the outer 

 wall, or epicap, is the downy 

 skin. The juicy middle layer is 

 the mesocarp, and the inner 

 layer, or endocarp, is the hard 

 stone or pit which contains the 

 seed. Such a fruit is a drupe. 

 An almond is formed in the 

 same way. Since the inner wall 

 of the ovary is so hard, there 

 is no need for 'the seed-coat to 

 harden. Make out the parts of 

 a date. A date is not a drupe. 

 A berry is a fruit with a firm outer covering ; the rest of 

 the fruit is juicy. Did you ever look at a young orange ? 

 The inner walls of the fruit are covered with tiny hairs. These 



Fig, 161. — Longitudinal section through 

 an Apple : c, dry persistent calyx limb ; 

 E, loculi with cartilaginous pericarp ; 

 T, mesocarp. (From Thome and 

 Bennett's " Structural and Physio- 

 logical Botany.") 



