Winton — Anatomy of the Fruit of Cocos nucifera. 267 



The endocarp, or shell (fig. 3, End), consists of a hard, dark 

 brown coat, 2-6 mm thick, with numerous fibers adhering to the 

 surface. Three nearly equidistant ridges (often indistinct) pass 

 from base to apex, where they unite to form a blunt point. 

 At the basal end, between the ridges, are the three depressions 

 or eyes, the tissues of which are much softer and thinner than 

 of the rest of the shell (fig. 3, K). Through the softest of 

 these eyes the embryo, embedded in the endosperm directly 

 behind it, escapes in sprouting. 



-Mes 



End 



Fig. 3. Ripe cocoanut fruit. S, lower part of axis forming the stem; A, 

 upper end of axis with scars of male flowers ; Epi, epicarp ; Mes, mesocarp with 

 fibers ; End, endocarp or hard shell ; T, portion of testa adhering to endosperm ; 

 Alb, endosperm surrounding cavity of the nut; K, germinating eye. x ^. 



The testa of the anatropous seed (fig. 3, T, and fig. 4) is a 

 thin coat of a light brown color, closely united with the endo- 

 carp without and the endosperm within. Embedded in the 

 outer portion and extending from the principal eye nearly to 

 the apex is the raphe, consisting of a thin band of vascular tis- 

 sues about l cm broad, which sends off branches in all directions, 

 forming a network about the seed. The endosperm with the 

 inner portion of the testa may be separated from the outer 

 testa and endocarp by introducing a knife blade between the 

 layers. By this operation the veins are split, part of the vas- 

 cular tissue adhering to the convex surface of the inner testa, 

 and the remainder to the concave surface of the outer testa, so 

 that both surfaces are covered with reticulations. 



