OEGAXS OF EEPRODrCXr 



^. 



305 



if a little pressiire be applied as in the ordinary process of 

 shelling peas. 



2. The Loraentum. — This is a kind of legume which is con- 

 tracted in a moniliform manner between each seed, as in Htdy- 

 sarv.m {fig. 672), Ornitliopus, and ^c«c/rt Sophora {fig. 678), It 

 is sometimes called a lomentaceous legume ov pod. This fruit, to- 

 gether with the former, characterise the plants of the Legumi- 

 nosge. "\Mien the lomeutum is ripe, it commonly separates into 

 as many pieces as there are contractions on its surface (/f^. 672), 

 or it remains entire {fig. 678) ; in the latter case, the seeds are 

 separately enclosed in cayities which are formed by the produc- 

 tion of as many internal spurious dissepiments as there are ex- 

 ternal contractions. 



3. The Drupe. — This is a superior, one-celled, one or two-seeded, 

 indehiscent fruit, haying a fleshy or pulpy sarcocarp, a hard or 

 bony endocarp, and the pericarp altogether, separable into its 

 component parts, namely, of epicarp, sarcocarp, and endocarp. 

 The Drupe is sometimes called a stone-fruit. Examples occur in 

 the Peach (^^^\ 679 and 680), Apricot," Plum, Cherry {fig. 681), 

 and Oliye. In the Almond, the fruit presents all the characters of 

 the drupe, except that here the sarcocarp is of a toughish tex- 

 ture, instead of being succulent. Many fruits, such as the Wal- 

 nut and Cocoa-nut, are sometimes termed drupes, but improperly 

 so, as they are in reality compound, or formed originally from 

 two or more arpels or oyaries, besides presenting other dis- 



Fig. 679. 



Fig. 680. 



Fig. 679. Drape of the Peach. Fig. 680. The same cut verticallv. 



tinctiye characters. A number of drupes aggregated together 

 on a common thalamus, form collectiyely a kind of Etaerio (see 

 Etjerio). Any fruit which resembles the drupe in its general 

 characters, is frequently termed driipaceous or drupe-like. 



4. The Ftricle is a superior, one-celled, one or few-see:led fruit, 

 with a thin, membranous, loose pericarp, not adhering to the 

 se^d, generally indehiscent, but sometimes opening in a trans- 



X 



