CHAPTER XXIII 



THE FRUIT 



1. When all the rest of the flower of C^SALPINIA 

 has fallen there remains the ovary, and this grows 

 to many times its size, and contains the seeds. It 

 is then known botanically as the fruit. In common 

 speech we usually mean by fruit, the part of the flower 

 which has grown and become edible, and which we 

 eat, like a mango, orange, grape or brinjal, but in 

 botanical language by fruit is meant any part of the 

 flower or of its stalk that developing after the flower 

 has faded contains the seeds whether it be edible or not. 



In some cases the fruit when the seeds are fully 

 formed is dry and brittle, and opens in some way or 

 other so that the seeds may drop out, as is the case 

 with Cotton, Balsam and Pea. In others, the fruit is 

 soft, and whether it contains one or more seeds does 

 not open, but remains on the tree entire until it drops 

 off to the ground and there rots away, or, as is more 

 likely, is eaten by animals. These fruits (which do 

 not open) are termed indehiscent fruits, to distinguish 

 them from dehiscent fruits, which open naturally. 



Fruits that have a soft or pulpy part (generally 

 edible) like the mango, guava, melon, are termed 



