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9. The covering of a fruit is termed the pericarp. It may be dry or fleshy. 
It may consist of three layeis, as in tho peach or plum, where the epicarp is the 
external layer or skin, the tnesocarp is the intermediate layer or pulp of the fruit, and 
the eitdocarp or putatnen is tho internal layer, the hard shell which encloses the 
kernel, the seed. 
10. The peculiar fruits of some of the large families of .plants have received 
special names; 
Cruciferce ... Siliqua. 
Umbelliferw ... Cremocarp. 
Leguminosce Legume. 
Pyrus Pome. 
Ciicurbitacece Pepo. 
Coniferce Cone. 
Graminece Grain or Caryopsis. 
11. The popular idea of a fruit is something to eat. In fact there is a 
sub-classification of edible fruits, into fruits and vegetables cucumbers, marrows, 
&c., being not looked upon as fruits, which they really are. The botanical meaning 
of the word has been already given, and speaking from a very wide experience, I find 
that my correspondents have difficulty in realising this botanical moaning. As a 
matter of fact, a veiy small proportion of fruits are edible, and many of the edible 
ones have been brought to their present state by the efforts of man. 
The flesh of the apple, pear, &c., consists of the swollen peduncle; the 
strawberry consists of a fleshy receptacle covered with ripe carpels (the " strawberry 
seeds " or achenes) ; the pineapple consists of the mature gynsecia of a number of 
flowers in a state of cohesion ; in the grape we have the placentae undergoing a pulpy 
development, and so on. 
12. Kerner and Oliver put the question of fruit definition in this way : 
Intimately connected with the cbvfl'jping 322 Js is ths structure in which they are containel, 
and in which they were originally fertilised. This is known at the time of fertilisation as the pistil or 
ovary, and later, when the seeds are ripe, as the pericarp, see l-capsule or case. As a rule this structure 
is known to botanists as the fruit, though this designation is open t3 criticism. In a broad sense the 
fruit in Phanerogams should include everything which undergoes alteration after fertilisation either in 
the flower or flowering axis. All these changes take place in the parts in question for the purpose of 
promoting the interests of the embryo, and properly equipping it when the time comes for its severance 
from the parent plant, consequently the whole of the structures which participate in this object should 
be regarded as the fruit. From this point of view the seed-case or pericarp (derived from the pistil) 
constitutes only a portion of the fruit. Since, however, the seed-case in a very large number of cases 
approximates to, and essentially constitutes the whole fruit, we will not press our quarrel with the 
descriptive botanists to the point of pedantry, but, having made our protest, fall into line with the usual 
terminology. (Kerner and Oliver, ii, 427.) 
13. I have had more correspondence with my friends concerning Eucalyptus 
fruits than in regard to those of any other kind of tree, country people not finding it 
easy to call them fruits, but not objecting to call them " seeds " or " berries," 
indeed anything but fruits. I have some notes on the subject under Capsule (see p. 27). 
