POMEGRANATE 



105 



POMEGRANATE RIND 

 (Cortex Fructus Granati) 



Source, &C. The pomegranate tree, Punica .Grandtum, Linne (N.O. 

 Lythrariece), is a shrub or small tree indigenous to north-western 

 India, but cultivated in the warmer parts of the temperate regions, 

 especially in the countries bordering on the Mediterranean. More 

 than one variety is known, but that producing crimson flowers is 

 the commonest. The flowers are succeeded by handsome reddish 

 fruits, about the size of a 

 large orange, much esteemed 

 for their agreeable juicy 

 contents. The leaves and 

 flowers, as well as the fruits, 

 were employed in medicine 

 by the ancients ; the Romans 

 used the peel of the fruit for ^ " c 



tanning, and in the south of 

 Europe it still serves the 

 same purpose. 



Description. The pome- 

 granate is a large handsome 

 fruit of sub-globular shape 

 and brownish yellow colour, 

 passing into dull crimson 

 red. It is crowned with a 

 large, deeply five- toothed, 

 tubular, coriaceous calyx, 

 within which are the re- 

 mains of the stamens and 



style. The pericarp, the outer surface of which is granular in 

 appearance, is about 1-5 mm. thick, hard, and coriaceous. The 

 large cavity is divided by thin, membranous dissepiments into a 

 number of cells, each of which is completely filled with numerous 

 seeds. 



When cut longitudinally the fruit is seen to be divided by a membrane 

 into an upper and lower portion. Transverse sections show the former 

 to be divided by radiating dissepiments into six cavities, in each of 

 which the placentation of the seeds is parietal, whilst in the lower 

 portion from three to five cavities are irregularly arranged. The seeds 

 are about 12 mm. long, subpyramidal in shape, and contain a sweetish 

 acidulous juice in a translucent outer portion. The fruit is a berry 

 sometimes distinguished by the special name ' balausta.' 



The peel of the fruit, separated from the seeds, was formerly much 



FIG. 57. Pomegranate (Punica Granatum). 

 A, flower cut vertically ; B, transverse 

 section of the upper part of the ovary, 

 showing six loculi, magnified ; C, trans- 

 verse section of lower part, showing three 

 loculi, magnified. (Luerssen.) 



