LESSON 20.] ITS KINDS. 127 



surfaop, and too small to bo nmcli iinticod. And miilborrios, figs, 

 and pinc-appk's are masses of many iriiits with a pulpy flower-stalk, 

 &;c. Passing these by for the present, let us now consider only 



33."). Simple Fruits. These are such as are formed by the ripening 

 of a single pistil, whether simple (305) or compound (311). 



330. A simple fruit consists, then, of the Seed-irssel (technically 

 called the Pericarp), or the walls of the ovary matured, and the see<ls, 

 contained in it. Its structure is generally the same as that of the 

 ovary, but not always ; because certain changes may take place after 

 flowering. The commonest change is the obliteration in the growing 

 fruit of some jiarts which existed in the pistil at the time of flowering. 

 The ovary of a Ilorsechestnut, for instance, hjis three cells and two 

 ovules in each cell ; but the fruit never has more than three seeds, 

 and rarely more than one or two, and only as many cells. Yet the 

 vestiges of the seeds that have not matured, and of the wanting cells 

 of tlie pod, may always be detected in the ripe fruit. This oblitera- 

 tion is more complete in the Oak and Chestnut. The ovary of the 

 fii-st likewise has three cells, that of the second six or seven cells, 

 each with two ovules hanging from the summit. "We might there- 

 fore expect the acorn and the chestnut to have as many cells, and 

 two seeds in each cell. Whereas, in fact, all the cells and all the 

 ovules but one are uniformly obliterated in the forming fruit, wliich 

 thus becomes one-colled and one-seeded, and rarely can any vestige 

 be found of the missing parts. 



337. On the other hand, a one-celled ovary sometimes becomes 

 several-celled in the fruit by the formation of false partitions, com- 

 monly by cross-partitions, as in the jointed jiod of the Sea-Kocket 

 and the Tick-Trefoil (Fig. 3(U). 



338. Their hinds. In defining the principal kinds of simple fruits 

 which have particular names, we may classify thorn, in the first place, 

 into, — 1. Fh'slty Fruits; 2. Stune Fruits', and 3. Dn/ Frtn'ts. 

 The first and second are of course indehisccnt ; that is, they do not 

 sjilit open when ripe to discharge the seeds. 



331). In jii'sliy fruits the whole pericarp, or wall of the ovarv, 

 thickens and becomes soft (fleshy, juicy, or pulpy) as it ripons. Of 

 this the leading kind is 



3 10. Tlie Berry, such as the goosol)orry and mrraiit, tlio Iduoborry 

 and craiiborry, the tomato, and the gnipe. Ilcic llic wiiolo iloh is 

 eciually soft throughout. The orange is merely a borrv with a 

 L-athery rind. ^ (^ {^^^^\ ;Vt'i»»V 



