318 ORGANOGEAPHY. 



5. The Syconus is a collective fruit, formed of an enlarged 

 and more or less succulent receptacle, which bears a number of 

 separate flowers. The Fig {fig. 380) is an example of a syconus ; 

 in this, the flowers are almost entirely enclosed by the en- 

 larged hollow pear-shaped receptacle, and what are vulgarly 

 called seeds are in reality one-seeded fruits resembling achsenia. 

 The Dorstenia {fig. 381) is another example of the syconus, 

 although it diflfers a good deal from the Fig in its general appear- 

 ance ; thus the receptacle is less succulent, and only slightly con- 

 cave, except at its margins, so that the separate fruits 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, 

 Achsenium, 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 eases preferring 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, that if such were the case, 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 gyncecium or pistil in its unimpregnated and 

 impregnated state, we pass to the description of the Ovules and 

 Seeds, which are contained within the ovary and fruit respec- 

 tively, 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 impregnated 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. 427, o, o, and 620, g), or, indirectly, by a 

 stalk called the funiculus, podosperm, or umbilical cord {figs. 

 6bi,f, and 601, ov), when it is described as stalked. The point 

 of attachment of the ovule to the placenta if sessile, or to the 

 funiculus when stalked, is termed the hilum or umbilicus. These 



