1 70 Fruits and Seeds. 



of the corolla, and monstrous flowers are not 

 unfrequently met with, in which the stamens are 

 green leaves, more or less resembling the ordinary 

 leaves of the plant. Lastly, in the centre of the 

 flower is the pistil, which also is theoretically to be 

 considered as constituted of one or more leaves, 

 each of which is folded on itself, and called a carpel. 

 Sometimes there is only one carpel. Generally the 

 carpels have so completely lost the appearance of 

 leaves, that this explanation of their true nature 

 requires a considerable amount of faith. The base 

 of the pistil is the ovary, composed, as I have just 

 mentioned, of one or more carpels, in which the 

 seeds are developed. I need hardly say that many 

 so-called seeds are really fruits ; that is to say, they 

 are seeds with more or less complex envelopes. 



2. We all know that seeds and fruits differ greatly 

 in different species. Some are large, some small ; 

 some are sweet, some bitter ; some are brightly 

 some dull coloured, some are good to eat, some 

 poisonous ; some spherical, some winged ; some 

 covered with bristles, some with hairs ; some are 

 smooth, and some very sticky. 



We may be sure that there are good reasons for 

 these differences. 



3. In the first place, then, during growth, seeds in 

 many cases require protection. This is especially 

 the case with those of an albuminous character. It 

 is curious that so many of those which are luscious 

 when ripe, as the Peach, Strawberry, Cherry. 



