FRUIT. 57 



XVI. FRUIT. 



473. The FRUIT, in the strictest sense of the word, is the 

 pistil arrived at maturity. But the term is also applied to 

 the pistil and floral envelopes taken together, whenever they 

 are all united in one uniform mass. 



474. Hence, whatever is the structure of the pistil, the 

 same should be the structure of the fruit. 



475. But in the course of the advance of the pistil towards 

 maturity, many alterations take place, in consequence of 

 abortion, non-developement, obliteration, and union of parts. 



476. Whenever the fruit contains anything at variance 

 with the laws that govern the structure of the pistil, the latter 

 should be examined for the purpose of elucidation. 



477. Sometimes a pistil with several cells produces a fruit 

 with but one ; Ex. the Hazel-nut and Cocoa-nut. This arises 

 from the obliteration of part of the cells. 



478. Or a pistil, consisting of one or two cells, changes to 

 a fruit having several: the cause of this is a division and 

 doubling of the placentary divisions ; Ex. Martynia : or the 

 expansion of portions of the interior ; Ex. Cathartocarpus, 

 Fistula. 



479. As the fruit is the maturation of the pistil, it ought to 

 indicate upon its surface some traces of a style ; and this is 

 true in all cases, except Cycadacese and Coniferse, which have 

 no ovary. 



480. Hence the grains of corn, and many other bodies that 

 resemble seeds, having traces of the remains of a style, cannot 

 be seeds, but are minute fruits. 



481. That part which was the ovary in the pistil, becomes 

 the pericarp in the fruit. 



482. The PERICARP consists of three parts ; the outer coat- 

 ing called the epicarp, the inner lining called the endocarp, or 

 putamen, and the intermediate substance named the sarcocarp. 



483. Sometimes these three parts are all readily distin- 

 guished ; Ex. the Peach : frequently they form one uniform 

 substance ; Ex. a Nut. 



484. The base of the fruit is the part where it is joined to 

 the peduncle. The apex is where the remains of the style are 

 found. 



