"A double cherry seeming parted. But yet a union in partition, Two lovely berries moulded on one stem." 'Midsummer Night's Dream,' act iii, sc. 2. A similar union has been observed in peaches, gooseberries, gourds, melons, and a great many other fruits. In the Barbarossa grape I have frequently seen a fusion of two, three, four or more berries quite at the end of the bunch, so that the clusters were terminated by a compound grape. Seringe has remarked sometimes two, sometimes three, fruits of _Ranunculus tripartitus_ soldered together. He has also seen three melons similarly joined.[47] Turpin mentions having seen a complete union between the three smooth and leathery pericarps which are naturally separate and enclosed within the spiny cupule of the chestnut.[48] Poiteau and Turpin have figured and described in their treatise on fruit trees, under the name of Nefle de Correa, four or five medlars, joined together and surmounted by all the persistent leaflets of the calyces.[49] A very remarkable example of Syncarpy has been recorded by E. Koenig in which nine strawberries were borne on one stem (_Fragaria botryformis_),[50] and a similar malformation has been observed in the Pineapple. When two fruits are united together they may be of about equal size, while in other cases one of the two is much smaller than the other. This was the case in two cucumbers given to me by Mr. James Salter. These were united together along their whole length excepting at the very tips; the upper one of the two was much larger than the lower, and contained three cells, the lower fruit was one-celled by suppression. Both fruits were curved, the curvature being evidently due to the more rapid growth of the upper as compared with the lower one. [Illustration: FIG. 19.--Adhesion of two apples.] [Illustration: FIG. 20.--Section of united apples.] In many of these cases, where the fruits are united by their bases, the summits become separated one from the other, so as to resemble the letter V. Such divergence is of frequent occurrence where fruits are united by their stalks, because, as growth goes on, the tendency must necessarily be towards separation and divergence of the tips of the fruit. In some cases of Syncarpy the fusion and interpenetration of the carpels is carried to such an extent that it is very difficult to trace on the outer surface the lines of union. The fruit in these cases resembles a single one of much larger size than usual. Moquin mentions a double apple in which the connection was so close that the fruit was not very different in form from what is customary, and a similar thing happens with the tomato. In the case of stone-fruits it sometimes happens, not only that the outer portions are adherent, but that the stones are so likewise.