38 



VARIOUS FOOD-PLANTS 



quantities of peanuts and Brazil-nuts are eaten, while in 

 some places the coconut constitutes the chief, sometimes 

 almost the only, food. The importance of nuts, to mankind. 



Fit 



. 25. — Chestnut. -1, twig bearing two ehisters of |ji.stillate flowers, 

 and a .small immature cluster of staminate flowers. B, a single cluster 

 of three pistillate flowers protruding from among the bracts which 

 form a cup around them. C, a single pistillate flower, showing six 

 elongated stigmas and a bell-shaped caly.x of si.x sepals formed above 

 the ovarj'. D. the same, cut vertically to show the ovules at the base 

 of the flask-shaped ovary. E, a single staminate flower, showing the 

 numerous stamens surrounded by the calyx of six sepals joined at the 

 base. The figures all somewhat enlarged. (Baillon.) 



Fig. 2G. — Chestnut. A, ripe fruit, showing the now spinj bract-cup or 

 "]3urr" split open and exposing three nuts within. Reduced. B, one 

 of the side nuts, showing at the tip the stigmas and calyx. About 

 two-thirds natural size. C, the middle nut, showing the scar of at- 

 tachment at base. Z>, a side nut, cut vertically to show the seed w-ithin 

 containing a large embryo gorged with starchy food. (Baillon.) 



therefore, is much greater than we commonly .suppose, con- 

 sitlering that with us they are used scarcely more than as 

 luxuries. 



