DRY FRUITS 



Still others project their seeds from the par- 

 ent stem. Many do this; perhaps the one best 

 known is the Jewelweed, or Touch-Me-Not. 

 When the capsule is sufficiently ripe a touch 

 will upset the calm of the entire arrangement. 

 I think no country child foregoes the pleasure 

 of pinching the tiny fruit vessels in order to see 

 the entire structure curl itself up under his 

 fingers and the seeds shoot away, nor will he 

 stop until the last tiny adventurer has been 

 started on its life journey. What happens is 

 that the jar sets the five valves of the seed- 

 cover free, they coil up suddenly and the small 

 seeds are thrown several feet away. The 

 woody pods of Witch Hazel contract unequally, 

 the valves are suddenly spread apart and the 

 seeds are hurled away. 



162 



