ORGAXS OF REPRODUCTION. 327 



syconus ; in the Fig, the fl jwers are almost entirely enclosed 

 by the enlarged hollow pear-shaped receptacle, and what are 

 vulgarly called seeds are in reality one-seeded fruits resembling 

 ach^enia. The Dorstenia {fig 384) is another example of the 

 syconus, although it diifers a good deal from the Fig in its 

 general appearance; thus the receptacle is less succulent, and 

 only slightly concave, except at its margins, so that the separate 

 seed-vessels are here readily observed. 



All the more important fruits that have been named and 

 described by botanists, have now been alluded to; but in practice 

 only a few are in common use — such as the Legume, Drupe, 

 Achrenium, Follicle, Caryopsis, Siliqua, Silicula, Capsule, Nut, 

 Pome, Pepo, Berry, and Cone. This has arisen, partly from 

 the same names having been given by different botanists to 

 totally different kinds of fruits; and partly from botanists in 

 many cases, prefemng to describe a particular fruit according 

 to the special characters it presents. It is, however, much to 

 be regretted, that a comprehensive arrangement of accurately 

 named and well-defined fruits should not be generally adopted, 

 as it cannot be doubted, if such were the case, that it would be 

 attended with much advantage, and save a great deal of un- 

 necessary description and repetition. 



Section 6. — The Ovule and Seed. 



Having now described the nature, structure, and general 

 characters of the pistil, in its unimpregnated and impregnated 

 or fertihzed state, we pass to the description of the Ovules 

 and Seeds, which are contained within those two organs re- 

 spectively, and which bear the same relation to each other as 

 regards their condition, as the pistil does to the fruit, — that is 

 to say, the ovule is an unimpregnated body, the seed an impreg- 

 nated or fertilized ovule. 



1. THE OVULE. 



The ovule is a small, rounded or oval, pulpy body, borne by 

 the placenta, and which when impregnated becomes a seed. 

 It is either attached directly to the placenta, in which case it is 

 said to be sessile (figs. 429, o and 618, g), or, indirectly, by a stalk 

 C£d\ed the funiculus, podosperm, or uvibdical cord {figs. 653, y^ and 

 600, ow), when it is described as stalked. The point of attach- 

 ment of the ovule to the placenta if sessile, or to the funiculus 

 when stalked, is termed the hdum or umbilicus. These terms 

 ai-e apphed to the seed in the same sense as to the ovule. 



The ovule has been compared to a bud, and has been called 

 the seed-bud by Schleiden and others. In parietal and axile 

 placentation, it may be regarded as analogous to a bud which is, 

 T 4 



