Fruits and Seeds 



9 



When we take the woody shell and the brown 

 inner covering off an acorn, cherry stone, peach 

 stone, or almond the white kernel inside all divides 

 naturally into halves. These are two leaves which 

 have changed their nature and become larders. 

 They are called cotyledons or seed leaves. Their 

 business is to feed the young plant till it is able 

 to gather nourishment for itself from 

 earth and air. When the little tree 

 becomes self-supporting, the work 

 of the seed leaves is completed. 



In almost any autumn walk one 

 may find the twin fruits of the late 

 flowering maple. Each is a hollow 

 globe, attached to a veiny wing, 

 and each encloses a solitary seed 



(Fig. 5). 



Within this seed we find a plant 

 already formed, with a short stalk 

 and a pair of leaves, as 

 unlike as possible to 

 those which fall from 

 the maple boughs 

 overhead. The leaves which we find in the 

 seed are rolled up with the rest of the baby plant, 

 which has been coiled, in its snug quarters, like 

 a watch spring. But when we straighten them 

 out we see that they are thick and strap-shaped. 

 Between them are the two first foliage leaves, 

 very tiny and bright colored. When the little 



Fig. 5. One fruit of the maple. 

 A, A liollow globe, attached to a 

 veiny wing, encloses a solitary 

 seed " ; B, The plant within ; C, Baby 

 plant uncoiling; D, Strap-shaped 

 leaves unfurling. 



