45 



fragrant, tasty, and nutritous? and to let them make their own 

 discovery in discussion that these characteristics must be con- 

 sidered on a 'malocentric' rather than a homocentric basis. 

 Similar questions may easily be propounded with flowers as the 

 objective material, or any other economic forms of life, but 

 fruits offer a larger combination of these man-favored factors. 



When the adaptive values of these advertising and nutritive 

 features have been appreciated, the problem may be further 

 emphasized by reference to the developmental, contrary charac- 

 teristics. Why are apples green, hard, bitter and indigestible 

 until ripe? This leads to a further question : What advantage is 

 afforded by the tough fibrous inner ovulary wall? By the hard 

 seed coat? By the bitterness of the infinitesmal amount of 

 prussic acid in the seed? The fact that the seed is so protected 

 by its hard seed coat that it may be avoided, or if taken into 

 the mouth, may escape being chewed, and may further resist 

 digestion in the alimentary canal, until finally, as a result of 

 these parental provisions, it achieves planting on a non-competi- 

 tive basis, — all these constitute discoveries for which the com- 

 mon apple is particularly favorable material. 



Finally, by way of conclusion, the following technical facts 

 may be noted. Scientifically, the apple has been commonly 

 classified as Pyrus malus Linnaeus; Pyrus being the Latin 

 name for pear, and Malus for apple. Apples, pears, and crab 

 apples are in the same genus, Pyrus. All apples are pome 

 fruits, as are also quinces, and the drier fruits of the hawthorn or 

 thornapple, though these latter belong to different genera. 



Brooklyn Botanic Garden 



Explanation of Plate 3 



Figures 1-4. Viewed from calyx end. 1. Winter Banana; note five ridges 

 and pentagonal outline. 2. Russet pear. 3. Pippin; note absence of angles. 

 4. Delicious; note pentagonal outline and knobs. 



Figures 5 & 6. Two halves of Delicious variety. The line of the ovulary 

 wall can be faintly seen. Note single locule exposed. Each locule corresponds 

 to one of the knobs. 



Figures 7-12. Comparing cross sections. 



7. Russet pear. 8. Winter Banana. 9. Delicious; note pentagonal outline 

 in figures 8 & 9. 10. Mcintosh. 11. Jonathan. 12. Pippin; The shape of the 

 star figures varied with different varieties and the degree of ripeness. That of 

 the Pippin (12) would open out and the locules become more connected 

 with further ripening. The differences in numbers of seeds is a more constant 

 character, -the Rome Beauty may have three, even four in one locule. 



