46 



VARIOUS FOOD-PLANTS 



Fig. 34. — Coconut (Cocos nuci- 

 fera. Palm Family, Pah 

 macecc). Plants in fruit 

 showing general form. 

 (Baillon.) — The columnar 

 trunk, ri.ses to a height of 

 20 .jO m. and hears bright 

 green leaves 6-7 m. long. 



Fig. 35. — Coconut. A, fruit, show- 

 ing husk cut vertically through the 

 center, revealing the hard shell of 

 the nut. B, nut viewed from be- 

 low, showing the lines (a, a, a) along 

 which the three pistils are united; 

 ■^g '' and between them the three gerni- 



^t pores from the lower one of which 



~**»WiiA3=^ -'' ordinarily the single germ emerges 



in sprouting. C, lengthwise sec- 

 /> tion through the fruit sprouting; 



notice the thick husk into and 

 through which the young roots grow, the hard shell of the nut (shown 

 black) within which is the layer of solid seed food (coarsel\- dotted), 

 and the lifjuitl food or "milk" (white) into which the enlarging cotyle- 

 don or "seed-leaf" (finely dotted) pushes its way and acts a.s an organ 

 of absorption. (Warming.) — The husk is smooth and grayish brown, 

 and is largely composed of coarse, tough fibers. 



