THE FRUIT AND ITS ENVELOPES. 



b9 



parts. Before commencing; our examination of 

 the fruit, we liave to describe an accessory organ 

 of the flower, which is sometimes wanting, but 

 which, wlien present, is of the greatest impor- 

 tance for tlie arrangement of plants in natui-al 

 families. This organ is the disk. 



It is distinguished into h/pogt/rums, perigynom, 

 and epigi/nmis. 



1. The lu/pogpn<ms disk bears the name of po- 

 dogynum when it forms a iieshy body, distinct 

 from the receptacle, and which raises the ovary 

 above the bottom of the flower ; as in the rue, 

 and the other species of the family of Rutaces. 

 It is named pleurogymim, when it comes off under 

 the ovary and rises upon one of its lateral parts; 

 as, for example, in the periwinkle. It is called 

 epipodiwm, when it is fonned of several tubercles 

 which come off upon the support of the ovary. 

 This variety of disk is observed especially in the 

 plants of tlie family of Cruciferse, as the mus- 

 tard, turnip, &c. 



2. Tlie perigynous dish is formed by a more 

 or less thick fleshy substance, spread out upon 

 the inner wall of the calyx, as in the cherry, the 

 almond, and certain species of diosma, which, in 

 this respect, difl^er from the other species of the 

 same genus. 



3. The epigynmis dish is tliat which is observed 

 upon the summit of the ovary when the latter 

 is inferior, that is, when it is attached by every 

 part of its outer surface to the tube of the calyx, 

 as in the umbellifene, (carrot) and rubiacese, 

 (gallium.) 



The insertion of the stamina is distinguished 

 into absolute and relative. The first of these 

 terms applies to the position of the stamina, 

 without reference to the pistil. Thus we say : 

 stamina inserted into the corolla, the calyx, &c. 

 The second applies to the position of the stamina 

 or of the staminifcrous monopetalous corolla, 

 with relation to the pistil. Thus we say : stamina 

 inserted beneath the ovarj', around the ovary, or 

 upon the ovary. 



There are thus distinguished three kinds of 

 insertion, which are named hypogyrums, perigyn- 

 ous, and epigynous. The hypogynous insertion is 

 that in which the stamina, or the monopetalous 

 corolla bearing the stamina, are inserted under 

 the ovary ; as in the cniciferae, labiatse, &c. The 

 perigynmis insertion is that in wliich the stamina 

 are inserted into the calyx, as in the rosaceie, 

 (the wild rose.) Lastly, in the epigynous inser- 

 tion, which takes place whenever the ovary is 

 inferior, the stamina or the staminiferous mon- 

 opetalous corolla are inserted uj)on the summit 

 of the ovary. The umbellifene, rubiacea;, &c., 

 afford examples of this kind of insertion. 



The position of the disk generally determines 

 tlie insertion. Thus, whenever there is a hypo- 

 gynous disk, the insertion is hypogynous. It 

 is perigynous, when the disk is so. Lastly, it 



is epigynous, whenever there is an epigynous 

 disk upon the summit of the ovary. 



CHAP. XVI. 



THE FEUIT AND ITS ENVELOPES. 



In the progress of fructification, when the 

 several organs of the flower have discharged 

 their respective offices, the petals, the stamens, 

 the style, and often the calyx, wither and fall. 

 The ovary alone remains attached to the plant, 

 and swells and expands till it reaches maturity. 

 It is now denominated the iruit. But at the 

 period of its complete development, it also de- 

 taches itself from the plant and drops into the 

 bosom of the earth, containing and protecting 

 the embryo of the future vegetable. The fruit 

 then is the ripened ovary, and the parts which 

 it contains. In popular language the term is 

 confined chiefly to such finits as are eatable, as 

 the apple, peach, cherey, or perhaps to the escu- 

 lent part only ; but with the botanist, the matured 

 ovary of every flower, with the parts contained, 

 constitutes and is termed the fruit. 



As the fruit consists of the ripened ovary, it 

 follows that the situation and distribution of the 

 fniit must be the same with that of the flower 

 which has preceded it. If the flower was radical 

 or caulinary, so is the ftTiit. If it was lateral, 

 axillary, or terminating, so is the fruit. If it 

 was sessile or pedunculate, spiked or verticellate, 

 so also is the fruit. And for the same reason, if 

 the ovary was detached, the finiit must also 

 be detached. Or to express these modifica- 

 tions in language perhaps more correct, if 

 the flower was inferior, the fi-uit will be in- 

 ferior ; if the flower was superior, the fruit will 

 be superior ; and if the flower was intermediate, 

 the fruit will be intermediate. It does not fol- 

 low, however, that mere modifications of posi- 

 tion shall be the same, because it fr'equently 

 happens that plants of which the flower has 

 been drooping, the finiit is erect, as in the lily 

 and cowslip ; and, on the contrary, that of plants 

 of which the flower has been erect, the fruit is 

 drooping, as in wheat and barley. The figure 

 of the fruit assumes almost as much variety as 

 that of the flower, but the following are its most 

 fi-equent modifications. It is either spherical, 

 as in the cherry; or elliptical, as in the almond ; 

 or oblong, as in the cofffee-berry ; or cylindrical, 

 as in epilcHnum; or inversely conical, as in the 

 pear ; or inversely heart-shaped, as in veronica ; 

 or kidney-shaped, as in anacardium; or three- 

 cornered, as in the tulip ; or twisted, as in me- 

 cago satira; or jointed, as in hedysarum; or in- 

 flated, as in staphylea; or winged, as in crown 

 imperial ; or stellate, as in the poppy. The apex 



M 



