FRUIT. 45 



of, which are brought about by the performance of 

 that function, such as the changes of the ovarium 

 and its contents into fruit and seed. Before doing so 

 we may remark, that between the base of the ova- 

 rium and that of the stamens there is very often a thick 

 or fleshy body called the disk ; in the Umbelliferse this 

 disk spreads all over the body of the ovarium, and be- 

 comes firmly attached to the bottom of the styles, but 

 the most common form of it is a thickened ring, or irre- 

 gular lobed protuberances, upon which the ovarium 

 appears to be seated. It has been regarded as stamens 

 in a very rudimentary, undeveloped state. 



Fruit. 



242. The fruit is the ovarium, and its contents be- 

 come perfected as a result of the action of fertilization 

 or impregnation. 



243. It consists of two portions, the pericarp or co- 

 vering, and its contents, the seed. 



244. The pericarp (fig. 45) is the ripened ovarium, 

 and the seed the matured ovule, both of which struc- 

 tures in arriving at the state of which we are now speak- 

 ing, undergo many modifications. 



245. The pericarp consists of three portions ; the 

 epicarp, or outer coat, the sarcocarp, the second or 

 fleshy coat, and the endocarp, the third and most in- 

 ternal coat. These are well seen in the Nectarine, in 

 which the outer skin is the epicarp, the fleshy, juicy 

 matter, the sarcocarp, and the stone containing the 

 seed, the endocarp. In those cases in which the ova- 

 rium is called inferior, the epicarp is closely covered by 

 the ripened calyx, as in the Apple. The modifications 

 under which the whole pericarp or these portions of it 

 appear, are very various, and are noticed in the different 

 descriptions of fruits further on. 



246. The fruit is said to be uni-bi-, or trilocular, etc., 

 according to the number of its cells or compartments. 



