12 LINK. [BOOK i. 



only applied to distinct parts, as the leaf, peduncle, calyx, and 

 stamens, and not to modifications of them. Who has ever 

 thought of giving a distinct name to a labiate or papiliona- 

 ceous corolla, or who to a pinnated leaf ?" But this reasoning 

 loses its value, when it is considered that the fruit is subject 

 to infinitely greater diversity of structure than any other 

 organ, and that names for these modifications are useful, for 

 the sake of avoiding a minute explanation of the complex 

 differences upon which they depend. Besides, to admit, as 

 Link actually does, such names as capsula, &c., is abandoning 

 the argument; and when the following definitions, which 

 this learned botanist has proposed, are considered, I think 

 that little doubt will exist as to whether terms should be 

 employed in the manner recommended by himself, or with 

 the minute accuracy of the French. According to Professor 

 Link, the following are the limits of carpological nomen- 

 clature : 



1. Capsula, any dry, membranous, or coriaceous, pericarp. 



2. Capsella, the same, if small and one-seeded. 



3. Nuoe, externally hard. 



4. Nucula, externally hard, small, and one-seeded. 



5. Drupa, externally soft, internally hard. 



6. Pomum, fleshy or succulent, and large. 



7. Bacca, fleshy or succulent, and small. 



8. Bacca sicca, fleshy when unripe, dry when ripe, and 

 then distinguishable from the capsule by not being 

 brown. 



egumen, \ ^ pericarps of certain natural orders. 



10. Siliqua, J 



11. Amphispermium, a pericarpium which is of the same figure 



as the seed it contains. 



In more recent times there have been three principal 

 attempts at classing and naming the different modifications 

 of fruit; namely, those of Richard, Mirbel, and Desvaux. 

 These writers have all distinguished a considerable number 

 of variations, of which it is important to be aware for some 

 purposes, although their nomenclature is not much employed 

 in practice. But, in proportion as the utility of a classifica- 

 tion of fruit consists in its theoretical explanation of structure 



