THE ORANGE TRIBE. 93 



tion between the sepals of which it is composed. 

 Five white fleshy gi^een-dotted petals are placed 

 within the calyx, and within them are ten or twelve 

 stamens that arise from under the pistil ; these grow 

 together, in a way that explains well enough the real 

 nature of the column of the Mallow tribe, but that 

 is not characteristic of the Orange tribe itself. 



The pistil {fig' 4.) is a round dark-green part, ter- 

 minated by a thick style and stigma: around its 

 base is stretched {fig. 6. a.) a ring, out of the outside 

 of which the stamens originate. If you cut into the 

 ovarv, you will find it contains several cells, in each 

 of which is a double row of ovules {figs. 5 and 6.), 



Thus far there is nothing but a peculiar combina- 

 tion of parts, with all which you are already quite 

 familiar. But as soon as the ovary begins to grow 

 into a fruit, a great change comes over it : numbers 

 of the ovules perish; the thickest part of the rind 

 beo-ins to separate from the lining, and finally be- 

 comes so loose that, as you know, it is easily peeled ofi*; 

 and at the same time a great quantity of little pulpy 

 bags jut forwards into the cavity of each cell, be- 

 coming more and more watery, more and more acid, 

 and then more and more sweet, till at last the whole 

 substance of the fruit is a mass of sweet and delicious 

 pulp. The nature of these bags cannot be readily 

 seen in the Oranges of the shops, but if you examine 

 a bad Orange, such as is usually produced in a green- 

 house, the structure becomes most obvious. 



Do not, however, suppose that the presence of 

 pulpy bags in the midst of the cells of the fruit is an 



