Chap, i.] We Fruit and Seed. 9 



coats, as reprefented in plate I. fig. 5. where the 

 young flower appears towards the bottom of the 

 root. 



V. The fruit confifts of nearly the fame parts as 

 are found in the ftem ; of a _fkin or cuticle, which is 

 a production or continuation of the (kin of the bark ; 

 of an- outer parenchyma, which is the fame fubftance 

 continued from the bark, only that its veficles are 

 larger and more fucculent or juicy. Next the core 

 there is commonly an inner pulp or parenchyma ; and 

 the core is no more than a hard woody membrane, 

 which inclofes the feed. It is to be obferved, how- 

 ever, that the organization of fruit is very various j 

 in fome the feeds are difperfed through the parenchy- 

 matous or pulpy fubftance; in fome, inftead of a core, 

 we find a ftrong woody fubftance inclofing the feed 

 or kernel, which from its great hardnefs is termed 

 the ftone ; in fome, there are a number of feeds; and 

 in others, only a fingle feed, inclofed in a large mafs 

 of parenchymatous matter. 



VI. The feed is a deciduous part of >a vegetable, 

 , containing the rudiment o.f a new one. The effence 



of the feed confifts in the corculum or little heart, 

 which is f^ftened to the cotyledones or lobes, and in- 

 volved in them, and clofely covered by its proper 

 tunic. The corculum confifts in the plumula, which- 

 is the vital fpeck of the future plant, extremely fmall 

 in its dimenfions, but increafing like a bud to infinity. 

 The roftellum, however, muft be included, which is 

 the bafe of the plumula; it defcends and ftrikes root, 

 and is the part of the feed originally contiguous to the 

 mother plant. It is commonly fuppofed, and with 

 fome reafon, that the perfect plant, or at leaft all the 

 organization which is requifite to a perfect plant, 

 xifts in the feed, furrounded by a quantity of farina- 

 ceous 



