STRUCTURE.] PRINCIPLES OF SUCH CLASSIFICATIONS. 15 



else, the fruit itself being only the ovary matured. In using 

 the terms simple and compound, I have employed them 

 precisely in the sense that has been attributed to them in my 

 remarks upon the ovary ; being of opinion that, in an arrange- 

 ment like the following and those which have preceded it, in 

 which theoretical rather than practical purposes are to be 

 served, the principles on which it depends should be con- 

 formable to the strictest theoretical rules of structure. A 

 consideration of the fruit, without reference to the ovary, 

 necessarily induces a degree of uncertainty as to the real 

 nature of the fruit ; the abortion and obliteration to which 

 almost every part of it is more or less subject, often disguising 

 it to such a degree that the most acute carpologist would be 

 unable to determine its true structure, from an examination 

 of it in a ripe state only. In simple fruits are stationed those 

 forms in which the ovaries are multiplied so as to resemble a 

 compound fruit in every respect except their cohesion, they 

 remaining simple. But, as the passage which is thus formed 

 from simple to compound fruits is deviated from materially 

 when the ovaries are placed in more than a single series, I 

 have found it advisable to constitute a particular class of such, 

 under the name of aggregate fruit. Care must be taken not 

 to confound these with the fourth class containing collective 

 fruits, as has been done by more carpologists than one. 

 While the true aggregate fruit is produced by the ovaries of 

 a single flower, a collective fruit, if aggregate, is produced by 

 the ovaries of many flowers ; a most important difference. As 

 the pericarp is necessarily much affected by the calyx when 

 the two adhere so as to form a single body, it is indispensable, 

 if a clear idea is to be attached to the genera of carpology, 

 that inferior and superior fruits should not be confounded 

 under the same name : for this reason I have in all cases 

 founded a distinction upon that character. 



In order to facilitate the knowledge of the limits of the 

 genera of carpology, the following analytical table will be 

 found convenient for reference. It is succeeded by the 

 characters of the genera in as much detail as is necessary for 

 the perfect understanding of their application. 



