INTRODUCTION 



spinosa) grown in South Europe, and with Cloves, which are the product of 

 an East Indian tree (Caryophyllus aromaticus) belonging to the Order Myrtaceae, 

 which includes other such useful products as Allspice, Pomegranate, and the 

 many species of Eucalyptus. Another most interesting example is provided 

 in the Fig, popularly regarded as a fruit, and used as such in dessert, but 

 which is in reality an inflorescence or collection of flowers. 



FRUIT AND SEED 



In our review of the tree we now come to the most essential point, the 

 fulfilment of the Creator's command, " Let the earth bring forth grass, the 

 herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose 

 seed is in itself upon the earth." Since the dawn of creation Dame Nature has 

 been working out this scheme, and the results of her handiwork are around 

 us in the endless variety of shape and form evolved by the fruit and seed, 

 and the innumerable mechanical contrivances adopted for their dispersal. 



Time and space will not permit of our entering into details of the Classi- 

 fication of Fruits, but we shall find that the majority of those dealt with 

 may be placed under the headings of pomes, drupes, berries, capsules, 

 samaras or cones. The first three are fleshy fruits containing seeds, and in 

 their dissemination birds and other animals take an active part. The 

 succulent portion of such fruits is greedily devoured, but the seeds usually 

 resist digestion, and are sometimes transported to great distances where, 

 under favourable conditions of soil, moisture, and temperature, they may 

 continue the race. 



The true capsules liberate their seeds through toothed openings or pores, 



or by forcibly bursting open in well-defined directions. The pod or legume, 



which is often described as a capsule, also bursts to disperse its seeds, and 



sometimes propels them a considerable distance. In the samaras or winged 



fruits, and in the winged seeds of the cones, we have aids for their dispersal 



by the wind, and many other interesting forms of fruit and seeds of less 



frequent occurrence may be met with. 



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