vii.j THE FRUIT. 85 



In Buttercup a number of distinct carpels collectively 

 form the fruit, v.'hich, consequently, we have called 

 apocarpous. Each carpel is dry, one-seeded, and inde- 

 hiscent. Such fruit-carpels are called achenes. 



We have an example of the achene in the apocarpous 

 fruit of the Strawberry, which you may compare with that 

 of Buttercup. If the strawberry be ripe you find it to 

 consist of a rounded pulpy mass, surrounded at its base 

 by the persistent calyx. Scattered all over the succulent 

 head are numerous very small bodies, commonly called 

 the seeds. We do not find seeds growing exposed in 

 this way, but enclosed in pericarps, and if we carefully 

 examine the seed-like bodies we shall find they are fruit- 

 carpels, because they each bear the remains or scar of 

 the style (which is attached on the side of the ovary in 

 the strawberry); and if we cut one of them open we 

 shall find it consists of pericarp and enclosed seed. 

 They are indehiscent, and therefore wholly agree with 

 the achenes of Buttercup. 



What, then, is the pulpy mass which bears the 

 achenes ? There will be no difficulty in ascertaining 

 what it is if you can get half-a- 

 dozen specimens in as many dif 

 ferent stages between flower and 

 fruit. With these you can trace 

 the gradual enlargement of that 

 part of the receptacle of the flower 

 which bears the carpels until it 

 attains its full size in the ripe 

 strawberry. It is therefore, strictly 

 speaking, no part of the fruit. We 



shall now understand how the fruit FlG . 57 . Fruit of Straw- 

 of the Strawberry differs from the berry, showing per- 

 true berry f isten i calyx ' and er> 



;r w **/' . larged succulent re- 



But the fruit Of Blackberry mUSt ceptacle bearing nu- 



be compared with it. Here, again, merous achenes. 

 is an apocarpous fruit, consisting 



of a number of succulent little drupes (called drupels), 

 arranged upon a slightly enlarged receptacle, each drupel 

 answering to an achene of Buttercup or Strawberry. Thus 

 Blackberries differ from Strawberries in having their 

 carpels succulent instead of the receptacle. 



