THE FLOWERING PLANT. 



41 



First yon will notice its shape — all are not the same — 

 some are flat, others almost round, and others kidney- 

 shaped. This is the common white bean, which is lon- 

 ger than it is broad, with rounded surface (Fig. 30). 



Fig. 30. 



White Bean. Bean turned edgewise, showing Little Gate. 



One side is slightly curved inward like a kidney, and at 

 one end is a long black scar called the hilum ; it shows 

 where the bean was fastened to the pod. Toward the 

 dented side of the bean, and quite close to the black 

 scar, is a little opening called the micropyle (Fig. 31), 

 which means little gate, and it leads into the inside of 

 the bean-seed. In order to see the other parts well, it 

 is best to soak a few beans in a little water to soften 

 them. First there is a white outer covering, or great- 

 coat, which is very tough, almost like leather, and this is 

 called the testa, which means shell or cover ; under this 

 is a thick, white substance, which, by pressing a little, 

 splits lengthwise into two equal halves (Fig. 32). These 

 are called cotyledons, because they form a little cup to 



