The Natural System of Botany. 277 



The corolla has five equal petals ; the stamens are very nu- 

 merous, and instead of arising from the receptacle beneath the 

 carpels, are inserted on the calyx. The pistil consists of a 

 cluster of separate carpels, each having a style, and contain- 

 ing a single seed. The transformation of such a flower to the 

 fruit of the Strawberry, appears singular. When the corolla 

 has fallen off, the receptacle on which the carpels are situated, 

 swells gradually, and separates the carpels from each other, 

 bearing them on its outside, and becoming at length the soft, 

 juicy fruit. In the Raspberry, the structure of the fruit is dif- 

 ferent. The receptacle does not enlarge, but remains as the 

 white convex core of the fruit ; and the fruit itself consists of 

 the carpels, in which the seeds are imbedded, and which be- 

 come pulpy and succulent. Now on examining a Rose, the 

 structure of the flower will be found to be similar to that of the 

 Strawberry ; but the fruit, or Hip, as it is called, is formed of 

 the tube of the calyx, in the interior of which are the carpels. 

 The Apple, Pear, and their allied fruits, are constructed some- 

 what differently. In these the ovaries, and the tube of the 

 calyx completely coalesce, and form one body, which becomes 

 the fruit. The principal part of the flesh of the Apple consists 

 of the tube of the calyx or the prolonged receptacle ; but in 

 its interior are found the five carpels, whose walls have become 

 thin and horny. In the Almond, the Plum, the Peach, and 

 such fruits, there is only a single carpel developed ; and this 

 in time becomes the fruit, which is termed a drupe, and con- 

 sists of a fleshy outside, surrounding a hard shell, which con- 

 tains the cotyledons. 



The first sub-order, then, following what appears the most 

 natural division, is Amygdale^:, which have a single ovary, 

 and single seed, a deciduous calyx, and bear a drupe. To 

 this division belong some of the most delicious and esteemed 

 fruits, as the Peach, the Cherry, the Apricot, the Plum, the 

 Nectarine, the Almond, &c. All these agree in the peculiar 

 properties which they derive from the presence of Prussic 

 Acid, (which when of full strength is one of the most violent 

 of known poisons,) in some of their parts. Generally the quan- 

 tity is not sufficient to produce any deleterious effect, unless it 

 is artificially concentrated, though the leaves of a species of 



