46 



VARIOUS FOOD-PLANTS 



Fig. 34, — Coconut (Cocos nuci- 

 fera. Palm Family, Pal- 

 'macece). Plants in fruit 

 showing general f orm . 

 (Baillon.)— The columnar 

 trunk rises to a height of 

 20-30 m. and bears bright 

 green leaves 6-7 m. long. 



Fig. 35. — Coconut. A. fruit, show- 

 ing husk cut vertically through the 

 center, revealing the hard shell of 

 the nut. B, nut A'iewed from be- 

 low, showing the lines (a, a, a) along 

 which the three pistils are united ; 

 and between them the three germ- 

 pores from the lower one of which 

 ordinarily the single germ emerges 

 in sprouting. C, lengthwise sec- 

 tion through the fruit sprouting: 

 notice the thick husk into and 

 through which the young roots grow, the hard shell of the nut (shown 

 black) within which is the layer of solid seed food (coarsely dotted), 

 and the liquid food or "milk" (white) into which the enlarging cotyle- 

 don or "seed-leaf" (finely dotted) puslics its way and acts as an organ 

 of absorption. (Warming.) — The husk is smooth and grayish brown, 

 and is largely composed of coarse, tough fibers. 



