With the transmission of the pollen to the ovary of the pistil, the functions of the anther and stigma terminate; accordingly these parts of the flower rapidly wither and decay after fertilization. The filaments, the style, and the petals speedily participate in the decay, but the sepals remain sometimes persistent in an altered form. The ovary and its contents alone proceed in their further development, and undergo material changes, in which, however, the bracts and the calyx often participate.
Fig. 787.—Dorstenia.
Fig. 788.—Dandelion.
Fig. 789.—Apple.
The fully developed and matured ovule, the seed, is, of course, regarded as the essential part of the fruit; the enlarged ovary forms the pericarp, enclosing the seed. The form of the pericarp determines the external appearance of the denomination of the fruit. The structure of the fruit, and the arrangement of its parts depends in a great measure upon the number and position of the carpellary leaves in the pistil, and the manner and extent of their union, and the extent to which their edges are folded inwards.
Fig. 790.—Follicles of larkspur.