FRUIT. 131 



194. But if this contact does not take place, the ovula cannot possibly 

 be virified, but shrivel up and perish. 



195. The phenomenon of vivification takes place in consequence of the 

 descent of a portion of the moving particles (190) of the pollen into the 

 ovula, where such particles form the commencement of future plants. 



196. In wild plants stigmata is usually acted upon only by the pollen 

 of the stamens which belong to it. 



197. In this case the seed thus vivified will, when sown, produce new 

 individuals, dillering very little from that by which they were them- 

 selves produced. 



19S. And, therefore, wild plants are for the most part multiplied from 

 generation to generation without change. 



199. But it is possible to cause deviations from this law, by artificial 

 means. 



200. If the pollen of one species is placed upon the stigmata of another 

 species, the ovula will be vivified ; and what is called a hybrid plant will be 

 produced, by those ovula when they shall have grown to be seed. 



201. Hybrid plants are diflTerent from both their parents, and are gene- 

 rally intermediate in character between them. 



202. They have little power of perpetuating themselves by seed ; but 

 they may, if woody, be perpetuated by cuttings (312), buds (354), scions 

 (335), &c. 



203. Therefore, no hybrids but such as are of a woody perennial char- 

 acter can be perpetuated. 



204. It usually happens that the hybrid has the constitution and general 

 aspect of the polliniferous parent ; but is influenced in secondary charac- 

 ters by the peculiarity of the female parent. 



205. This should always be borne in mind in procuring new hybrid plants. 



206. Really hybrid plants must not be confounded with such as are spu- 

 rious, in consequence of their origin being between two varieties of the 

 same species, and not two species of the t-ame genus. 



207. Hybrid plants, although incapable of perpetuation by seed, are often 

 more abundant flowerers than either parent. 



208. This is, probably, connected with constitutional debility (162). 



VIII. Fruit. 



209. Fruit, strictly speaking, is the pistillum arrived at maturity. 



210. When the calyx adheres to the pistillum, and grows with it to 

 maturity, the fruit is called inferior ; as the Apple. 



211. But when the pistillum alone ripens, there being no adhesion to it 

 on the part of the calyx, the fruit is called superior ; as the Peach. 



212. The fruit is, therefore, in common language, the flower, or some 

 part of it, arrived at its most complete state of existence ; and conse- 

 quently, is itself a portion of a stunted branch (153). 



213. The nature of its connection with the stem is therefore the same 

 as that of the branches with each other, or of leaves with their stem. 



214. A superior fruit consisting only of one, or of a small number of 

 metamorphosed leaves, it has little or no power of forming a communicft- 

 tior. with the earth and of feeding itself, as real branches have (S9). 



