/■AT// 215 



I'hcsL- (lirfcrciices in external form are imiltiplied 

 when we examine fruit more minutelw We shall 

 tlieii fmd a useful (li\ i(lin_L( line in the manner in 

 which fruits allow their seeds to escape. In one 

 lar^e division the fruit when perfect!}' ripe splits 

 open and allows the seed to fall out ; such fruits 

 are termed dehiscent ('from dc/iisco, I gape). In 

 the other division the fruit remains closed, and the 

 substance of it must decay before the seeds can 

 escape and grow ; these are classed as indehiscent 

 (I gape not). Before referring to a few examples 

 of each dixision we will endeaxour to distinguish 

 clearly the various jxirts of a fruit and learn their 

 proper botanical names. 



We must be careful not to confound the seed 

 and the coats of the ovary ; the latter is termed the 

 pericarp (peri, around, kafpos, a fruit). In some 

 fruits this pericarp is developed into distinct coats, 

 or layers. In a peach, for instance, the outer coat 

 is rough and hairx', this is called the epicarp (i) (r//, 

 upon, karpos, a fruit; ; the middle coat is the 

 succulent delicious fruit, and is knoxvn as the meso- 

 carp (2) (f/iesos, middle, karpos, fruit;, whilst the inner 

 coat is the hard stone, or endocarp (3) {endori, within. 



