Reproduction in Flowering Plants 



213 



In the cucumber, watermelon, yucca, and tomato the 

 fruit is the enlarged ovulary. In the okra, wild geranium, 

 maple, hickory, and elm the entire pistil is involved. In the 

 haw, apple, blueberry, and pear the calyx forms part of the 

 fruit. In the strawberry, lotus, rose, and fig the fleshy part 

 of the fruit is the enlarged receptacle. It is a remarkable fact 

 that the fertilization of the egg in an ovule not only causes 

 the egg to develop into a new plant (the embryo), but also 

 causes other parts of the flower to enlarge and become fruit. 



The grains like wheat and corn are both seeds and fruits, 

 for the outer coat contains the ovulary wall as well as the 

 seed coats proper. 



Economic importance of flowers, fruits, and seeds. The 

 economic value of flowers lies chiefly in their use for decorative 

 purposes, but certain flower clusters like the artichoke and 

 cauliflower are used as food. The fruit industry needs only 

 to be mentioned to call to mind the vast scale upon which 

 plants are gro^^^l for their fleshy edible fruits. It should be 



U. S. Dept. of Agriculture 

 Fig. 130. Coffee berries, natural size. Each contains two seeds. 



