CHAP. II. 
FRUIT. 
233 
The Arrangement of Desvaux. 
Class 1. Pericarpium dry. 
Ord. 1. Simple fruits. 
§ Indeliiscent. 
§ § Dehiscent. 
Ord. 2. Dry compound fruits. 
Class 2. Pericarpium fleshy. 
Ord. 1. Simple fruits. 
Ord. 2. Compound fruits. 
In explanation of the principles upon which the classifica- 
tion of fruit which I now venture to propose is founded, it 
will of course be expected that I should offer some observa- 
tions. In the first place, I have made it depend primarily 
upon the structure of the ovary, by which the fruit is of 
necessity influenced in a greater degree than by any thing 
else, the fruit itself being only the ovary matured. In using 
the terms simple and compound, I have employed them 
precisely in the sense that has been attributed to them in my 
remarks upon the ovary ; being of opinion that, in an arrange- 
ment like the following and those which have preceded it, in 
which theoretical rather than practical purposes are to be 
served, the principles on which it depends should be conform- 
able to the strictest theoretical rules of structure. A consider- 
ation of the fruit, without reference to the ovary, necessarily 
induces a degree of uncertainty as to the real nature of the 
fruit; the abortion and obliteration to which almost every 
part of it is more or less subject, often disguising it to such a 
degree that the most acute carpologist would be unable to 
determine its true structure, from an examination of it in a 
ripe state only. In simple fruits are stationed those forms in 
which the ovaries are multiplied so as to resemble a compound 
fruit in every respect except their cohesion, they remaining 
simple. But, as the passage which is thus formed from 
simple to compound fruits is deviated from materially when 
the ovaries are placed in more than a single series, I have 
found it advisable to constitute a particular class of such, under 
the name of aggregate fruit. Care must be taken not to 
confound these with the fourth class containing collective 
