NOMENCLATURE OF THE FLOWER. S9 



The seeds of geranium, crown-imperial, begonia, maple, shep- 

 herd's-purse, rhubarb, buck-wheat and others, have this additional 

 part. 



57. Seeds differ with respect to number, figure, sur- 

 face, colour, consistence, and other circumstances, not 

 necessary to mention. 



a. Number may be one, two, three, four, or more. 



b. Figure may be round, ovate, oblong, and a variety of other 

 forms. 



c. Surface may be smooth, polished, furrowed, tubercled, &c. 



d. Colourmay be reddish, black, white, blue, green, and so on. 



e. Consistence may be juicy, hard, cork-like, fungous, &c. 



OF THE RECEPTACLE. 



58. Botanists have distinguished receptacles into 

 two kinds, the proper or peculiar receptacle, and the 

 common or general receptacle. 



59. Proper Receptacle : This kind of receptacle 

 belongs only to one flower, and is usually formed from 

 the apex of the peduncle or scape. 



The garden tulip, white-lily, wood-strawberry, sweet hovenia, 

 and common cashew-nut, are furnished with this species of recep- 

 tacle. The proper receptacle or apex of the peduncle swells in 

 some flowers, and becomes the fruit ; thus the fruit of the wood- 

 strawberry is not a berry, but a fleshy receptacle with its naked 

 seeds nestling on its surface ; so in the sweet hovenia, the peduncles 

 swell into a thick fleshy receptacle on which there are small cap- 

 sules ; and in the common cashew, the peduncle swells into a recep- 

 tacle on which the nut rests. 



60. Common Receptacle .-This species of receptacle 

 connects several florets or distinct flowers, so that if 



