17 



CHAPTER V. 



FRUCTIFICATION, OR FLOWER AND FRUIT. 



49. FLOS, the Flower, is a temporary part of a plant, 

 destined to form, and to perfect, the Fruit and Seed, 

 which it always precedes, and is therefore essential. 



50. Fructus, the Fruit, and especially Semen, the 

 Seed, is the ultimate object of all the other parts of 

 fructification, destined to reproduce and continue 

 the species, terminating the old individual, and be- 

 ginninr, the new. 



51. Annual or Biennial Plants (10) literally finish 

 eir existence in producing one crop of Seeds. Per- 

 ennial ones renew their life, as it were, every sea- 

 son, either in the Root, or Root and Stem, ac- 

 quiring a new layer of Wood and of Bark (31), as 

 well as a new set of Leaves (45), and of Flowers 

 (49)5 affording an annual supply of Fruit and Seed. 



52. The parts of Fructification are seven ; four of 

 them, Calyx, Corolla, Stamina, and Pistilla, be- 

 longing to the Flower ; two, Pericarpium and Se- 

 men, to the Fruit ; and one, Receptaculum, is com- 

 mon to both. 



53. Calyx, the Calyx, or outer integument of a Flower, 

 not universal in all Flowers, resembles the Leaves 

 in texture and colour (30), and perhaps performs 

 their functions (31) as far as the Flower- or Fruit- 



c 



