The Golden Rule for- Flowers 213 



shell, skin, flesh or fibre, however, the whole ovary 

 with the ripened ovules is properly the plant's 

 fruit. 



Generally speaking, the growth of the ovary, as well 

 as. of the ovules, depends upon pollen, and when the 

 ovules are fertilized and begin to grow, the ovary 

 begins to develop also, and not until then. . 



But it is not always so. Among the plants belonging 

 to the order of Liliaceae, which includes, besides lilies, 

 the hyacinth, tulip, garlic, onion, and others, it is a 

 common thing for the ovary to begin growing actively 

 hefore the pollen-tubes have reached the ovules — before 

 they are fertilized, therefore — though not before the 

 tubes have begun to penetrate downwards through the 

 style. In these cases the ovary seems to be excited to 

 growth by the pollen, though not in the usual way, and 

 before the ovules are affected. 



But in many plants the ovary, and even ovules, may 

 be fully developed, altogether without pollen ; though 

 in this case the ovules do not become seeds any more 

 than the ' stones ' of the Martinique date become seeds, 

 and no plant can be raised from them. 



Among the plants which ripen the ovary without the 

 help of pollen are the Zante ' currant ' (really a small 

 grape), many Maltese oranges, and some kinds of apple. 



While some ovules are so independent as to be able 

 to grow to the size of seeds, and even to assume the 

 appearance of seeds, without being fertilized, there are, 

 on the other hand, some — as, for instance, those of the 

 orchids — which are not even formed until the pollen- 

 tubes begin to grow towards the place where they 

 should be. The pollen in these cases not only fertilizes 



