OF THE FRUIT. 51 
two ovules fixed to the centre: but the ripe fruit 
contains but one cavity, and this cavity only one seed : 
these observations apply to a great many other fruits. 
76. Whert the fruit has arrived at maturity, some 
provision is usually made for the escape of the seeds. 
In some plants, the fruit falls into regular pieces, as in 
the Horse Chesnut, and Violet (pl. 17. f. i.), so as to 
allow the seeds to fall out: in other plants, as in the 
Poppy, and Campanula (f. 2. h.), the fruit opens by 
small holes near the top; or entirely, as in the Chick- 
weed (f. 3.); the pod of the Pea opens by two seams 
which are marked upon its edges, which are called the 
sutures of the carpel or ripe ovary,—sometimes only 
one suture of a carpel opens. ‘This process of opening 
is termed the dehiscence or splitting of the fruit. In 
the Apple, Pear, Peach, &c. this process does not 
occur, and fruits like these are termed indehiscent, or 
not opening for the escape of the seeds. Such fruits 
generally lie on the ground until they have decayed, 
and then the seeds begin to grow. 
77. It has been shown at par. 69, that the ovaries 
of a flower may be combined into a mass or body, as 
in the Orange, Lily, Mallow, Pink, Violet, Mignionette, 
&c. or they may be separate from each other, as in the 
Peony, Buttercup, &c. so in like manner the carpels or 
ripe ovaries of these several flowers, will be combined 
or separate from each other. Pl. 16. f. 12. shows the 
three carpels of the Lily (f. 8.) thus combined. 
Fruits are arranged under different heads according 
to their structure, 
