THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 475 



The seed, essentially a rudimentary organ, like the egg 

 of the animals shows itself almost constantly in an element- 

 ary form : it is generally globular, ovoid, or kidney-shaped ; 

 rarely angular. 



Some seeds are so small that they are absolutely invisible 

 without the aid of the microscope, as, for instance, those of 

 the Fungi ; whilst others, like the Cocos ( Cocos nucifera, 

 Linn.) of the Maldive Islands, reach the size of a man's 

 body. 



Some only preserve their germinative faculty for a few 

 hours ; if they are not sown at the moment when the plant 

 offers them at maturity, as it were, they constantly abort. 

 Others, on the contrary, preserve their latent life through 

 many ages, sheltered in our monuments or buried in an 

 unpropitious soil. After such a long sleep, perchance of 

 many thousands of years, if they are placed in a favorable 

 spot, they germinate, to our great astonishment. 



Two parts are to be distinguished in the seed : the integ- 

 ument and the kernel. 



The integument, or envelope, generally presents a coria- 

 ceous substance ; sometimes, however, as in the case of the 

 pomegranate, it is only formed by a watery layer. Its sur- 

 face, usually smooth, is sometimes wrinkled, hairy, or finely 

 honey-combed. 



In one region of it we see the trace of the spot where 

 the cord adhered which attached the grain to the mother 

 plant, and transmitted its nutritive juices to it. This im- 

 print bears the name of umbilicus. 



The kernel is formed of the embryo, a true plant in 

 miniature, surrounded by parts which are to aid in its* evo- 

 lution. 



