ON FRUIT. 229 



which differ but little from a pod : these carpels are dis- 

 tinguished by the name of follicles. Here is another ex- 

 ample : it is a variety of the cherry, which, instead of bear- 

 ing a single drupe like the common cherry, bears several. 



We will now proceed another step, and examine the 

 raspberry : this fruit consists of a considerable number of 

 small fleshy carpels, all of which result from a single flow- 

 er. It resembles an aggregation of small drupes. 



Emily. The number of carpels, then, I see offers no 

 difficulty : a flower may bear one carpel, like the pea ; or 

 two, like the apocynum ; or five, like the paeony ; or a 

 still greater number, like the raspberry. 



Mrs. B. Now, examine this long narrow pericarp of 

 the wall-flower : of what number of carpels do you sup- 

 pose it consists ? 



Caroline. Of only one, for it is a pod similar to that 

 of the pea or the bean ; but no, on opening it, I percieve 

 that a thin partition runs down the middle, which divides 

 it into two cavities, and that there is a row of seeds in 

 each. This pod must therefore consist of two carpels 

 growing together, so as to form but one fruit. 



Mrs. B. Pericarps of this description are called sili- 

 ques, not pods. The pod belongs to the leguminous, the 

 silique to the cruciform family. 



Emily. We have seen many instances of the organs 

 of flowers being soldered together: the petals, for instance, 

 are frequently united so as to form a corolla of a single 

 piece ; the stamens often cohere together by their fila- 

 ments ; the anthers are united so as to form a tube in com- 

 pound flowers ; and it is not more difficult to conceive 

 that several carpels should be soldered together, and form 

 fruits, having different cavities or cells for seed. 



Mrs. B. You may consider it as a law of Nature, that 

 the number of cells for seed contained in a fruit, implies 

 the number of carpels soldered together in its formation. 

 This law, however, admits of exceptions, which require 

 some further explanation. The carpels, you allow, con- 

 sist of folded leaves : if these reach to the centre of the 

 fruit, the cells will be complete ; if they reach but halfway, 



1249. What is said of the cherry'? 1250. And of the raspberry] 

 1251. What discovery does Caroline make in examining a waTTflbwer'? 

 1252. What is the difference between piliques and pods'? 1253. 

 What are cases of the organs of flowers being soldered together! 1254, 

 What does Mrs. B. say may be considered a law of nature 1 ? 

 20 



