66 



FRUITS 



122. — Vertical section of 

 a hip, showing seeds con- 

 tained in a hollow receptacle 

 (after Gray). 



123, 124. — Enlarged receptacle of Caro- 

 lina allspice {Cafycanthus) containing fruits 

 attached to its inner surface : 123, exterior ; 

 124, vertical section. 



78. The Pepo, or Melon. — Next examine a gourd, 

 cucumber, squash, or any kind of melon, and compare its 

 blossom end with that of the pome. Do you find any 

 remains of a calyx, or other part of the flower 1 Examine 

 the peduncle and observe how the fruit is attached to it. 

 Cut cross and vertical sections, and sketch them, labeling 

 each part. There may be some difficulty in making out 

 the carpels, for they are not separate and distinct as in the 

 pome, but confluent with the enlarged receptacle, which 

 in these fruits forms the outer portion of the rind,i and 

 also with each other at their edges, so as to form one 

 unbroken circle, as if they had all grown together. And 

 this is precisely what has happened. 

 The number of carpels can easily be 

 distinguished, however, by counting 

 the placentas, which divide the interior 

 into compartments called cells or loculi, 

 corresponding in number to the num- 

 ber of carpels. The placentas are 

 greatly enlarged and modified, and it 

 may be necessary to refer to the dia- 

 gram. Figure 125, in order to make them 

 out. How many cells, or chambers, 

 are there in your specimen .? How many placentas ? Are 

 the seeds vertical, as in the apple, or horizontal.' Look 



1 See Cucurbila, " American Encyclopedia of Horticulture." 



125. — Cross section of 

 gourd : c, one of the car- 

 pels in diagram {after 

 Gray). 



