162 FRUITS. 



(82) Pimento Fruit. 



The fruit of Pimento, officinalis, Lindley (N.O. Myrtaceae). 

 The fruit possesses the following structure : 



The outer epidermis of the pericarp is composed of small 

 polygonal cells covered with a rather thick cuticle ; it is provided 

 with stomata surrounded by several cells, and bears one-celled, 

 conical, thick-walled hairs. 



Below the epidermis is a mass of parenchymatous tissue 

 differentiated into two layers, and traversed by fibro-vascular 

 bundles. The outer of these two layers is characterised by the 

 presence of a large number of oil-glands, which are often close 

 together and so near to the epidermis as to raise it, thus im- 

 parting a roughness to the surface of the fruit. The inner part 

 of the parenchymatous tissue contains numerous sclerenchy- 

 matous cells, either isolated or in groups. These cells vary 

 very much in size, in outline, and in the thickness of their 

 walls, which are traversed by branching pores ; they contain 

 a brown substance. 



The inner epidermis of the pericarp (and of the dissepiment 

 that divides the cavity into two cells) consists of delicate 

 colourless elongated cells. 



The seed-coats are thin and adherent to the seed. They 

 comprise several layers. The outer of these is composed of 

 polygonal colourless cells, all of which are elongated in the 

 same direction ; the middle layer is made up of rather large 

 irregular or rounded brown cells exhibiting intercellular spaces. 

 The inner layer resembles the outer one. 



The cotyledons are composed of polygonal cells containing 

 starch grains ; the latter are mostly compound, the component 

 grains being rounded on one side and flat or angular on the 

 other according to their number (two, three, or four). 



The dissepiment consists of a tissue of brown polygonal cells 

 covered on either side with an epidermis similar to the inner 

 epidermis of the pericarp ; it contains numerous prismatic 

 and cluster-crystals. 



The diagnostic characters of powdered pimento are : 



(a) The starch grains. 



(b) The hairs. 



(c) The sclerenchymatous cells. 



(d) The small cells of the outer epidermis. 



(e) The oil-glands. 



