BOTANY. 33 



d. The Fruit. 



Various changes occur in the flower after fertihzation, the principal of 

 which consist in the enlargement of the ovary, which becomes the jiericarp. 

 and within this the development of the ovules into seeds containing the 

 embryo. The other portions of the flower generally dry up and fall off", 

 although some may be persistent. The term fruity in all strictness, only 

 applies to the mature ovary, with its contents ; although it sometimes includes 

 other parts, as the bracts and floral envelopes. The anatomy of the fruit 

 much resembles that of the ovary. The pericarp usually consists of three 

 layers : the external or epicarp, the middle or mesocarp^ and the internal or 

 endocarp. In such fruits as the peach the mesocarp becomes much developed, 

 forming the fleshy pulp, and hence called sarcocarp ; while the endocarp. 

 thickened by woody matter, constitutes the putamen, or stone. The part of 

 the pericarp attached to the peduncle is termed the base, that where the style 

 or stigma existed being iha apex. When the style remains in a hardened 

 form the fruit is apicidate. As in the carpel, so in the ripe fruit, the ventral 

 suture consists of the edges united towards the axis, the dorsal suture corres- 

 ponding to the midrib. When the sutures are united so firmly as not to give 

 way Avhen the fruit is ripe, this is said to be indehiscent ; dehiscent, when 

 either suture opens. Indehiscent fruits are either dry, as in the nut, or 

 fleshy, as in the cherry and apple. When the pericarp is closely incor- 

 porated with the seed the fruit is pseudo-spermoiis. When fruits, composed 

 of single carpels, open only by the sutures, the dehiscence is said to be 

 siitural ; when composed of several carpels, the valves may separate 

 through the dissepiments, and give rise to a septicidal dehiscence. When 

 the valves separate, so as to leave the placentae in the centre, these may 

 form a single column, called colimiella. When dehiscence takes place along 

 the dorsal sutures, and the separating valves carry the septa with them, 

 the dehiscence is locuUcidal ; it is septifragal when the septa separate 

 from the valves, and remain attached to the centre. The separation of the 

 valves may take place from above downwards, or the reverse. In Umbellifer?e 

 the two carpels separate from the lower part of the axis, but remain attached 

 to a prolongation of it, called a carpophore, or podocarp. In the Siliqua, 

 or fruit of the Cruciferae, the valves separate from the base, leaving a central 

 replnm. 



Fruits may also open transversely, the dehiscence, in this case, being 

 circiiniscissile. Dehiscence, again, may be effected by partial openings in 

 the pericarp, called pores, which may be variously situated. 



Fruits may be formed by one flower, or by several combined. In the 

 former case they are either apocarpmis, with one mature carpel, or 

 dialycarpous, with several separate free carpels. In the latter case they 

 are said to be syncarpous. An anthocarpous or multiple fruit is formed 

 when the bracts and floral envelopes are combined with the ovaries of a 

 syncarpous fruit. 



Apocarpous fruits, then, are formed of one or several free carpels, and may 



ICONOGRAPHIC ENCYCLOPEDIA. — VOL. II. 3 33 



