18 AUTHOR'S METHOD. [ROOK i. 



II. ACH^NIUM. ( Akenium, of many ; Spermidium ; Xylodium, Desv. ; The- 



cidium, Mirb. ; Nux, Linn.) 



One-seeded, one-celled, superior, indehiscent, hard, dry, with the integu- 

 ments of the seed distinct from it. 



Linnaeus includes this among his seeds, denning it " semen tectum epider- 

 mide ossea." I have somewhere seen it named Spermidium ; a good term if 

 it were wanted. M. Desvaux calls the nut of Anaoardium a Xylodium. 



Examples. Lithospermum, Borago. 



III. DRUPA. Drupe, fig. 165. 



One-celled, one- or two-seeded, superior, indehiscent, the outer coat (nau- 

 cum) soft and fleshy, and separable from the inner or endocarpium (the stone), 

 which is hard and bony ; proceeding from an ovarium which is perfectly 

 simple. This is the strict definition of the term drupa, which cannot strictly 

 be applied to any compound fruit, as that of Cocos, certain Verbenacese, and 

 others, as it often is. Fruits of the last description are generally carcerules 

 with a drupaceous coat. The stone of this fruit is the Nux of Richard, but 

 not of others. 



Examples. Peach, Plum, Apricot. 



IV. FOLLICULUS. Follicle. (Hemigyrus, Desvaux ; Plopocarpium, Desv.) 



fig. 141. 



One-celled, one- or many-seeded, one-valved, superior, dehiscent by a 

 suture along its face, and bearing its seeds at the base, or on each margin of 

 the suture. This differs from the legumen in nothing but its having one valve 

 instead of two. The Hemigyrus of Desvaux is the fruit of Proteacea?, and 

 differs from the follicle in nothing of importance. When several follicles arc 

 in a single flower, as in Nigella and Delphinium, they constitute a form 

 of fruit called Plopocarpium by Desvaux, and admitted into his Etserio by 

 Mirbel. 



Examples. Pseonia, Banksia, Nigella. 



V. LEGUMEN. Pod. (Legumen, Lvtin. ; Gousse, Fr.) fig. 138, 139. 



One- celled, one- or many-seeded, two-valved, superior, dehiscent by a suture 

 along both its face and its back, and bearing its seeds on each margin of the 

 ventral suture. This differs from the follicle in nothing except its dehiscing by 

 two valves. In Astragalus two spurious cells are formed by the projection 

 inwards of either the dorsal or ventral suture, which forms a sort of dissepi- 

 ment ; and in Cassia a great number of transverse diaphragms (phragmata) 

 are formed by projections of the placenta. Sometimes the legumen is indehis- 

 cent, as in Cathartocarpus, Cassia fistula, and others; but the line of dehiscence 

 is in such species indicated by the presence of sutures. When the two sutures 

 of the legumen separate from the valves, they form a kind of frame called 

 replum, as in Carmichaelia. 



Examples. Bean, Pea, Clover. 



VI. LOMENTUM. (Legumen lomentaceum, Rick.) 



Differs from the legumen in being contracted in the spaces between such 

 seed, and there separating into distinct pieces; or indehiscent, but divided by 



