604 



Sir John Lubbock 



[Feb. 18, 



in Geranium dissedum, Fig. 7, the capsule-rod remains attached to the 

 central column and the seed only is ejected. 



It will, however, be remembered that the capsule is, as already 

 observed, a leaf folded on itself, with the edges inwards, and in fact in 

 the Geranium the seed-chamber opens on its inner side. You will, 

 therefore, naturally observe to me that when the carpel bursts outwards, 

 the only effect would be that the seed would be forced against the 

 outer wall of the carpel, and that it would not be ejected, because the 

 opening is not on the outer but on the inner side. Your remark is 

 perfectly just, but the difficulty has been foreseen by our Geraniums, 



Fig. 7. 



« 



Diagram. 



Geranium dissectum. 



a, just before throwing seed ; 5, just after throwing seed ; c, the capsule still 

 attached to the rod ; d, the seed. 



and is overcome by them in different ways. In some species, as for 

 instance in Geranium dissectum, a short time before the dehiscence, the 

 seed-chamber places itself at right angles to the pillar (Fig. 7 a). 

 The edges then separate, but they are provided with a fringe of hairs, 

 just strong enough to retain the seed in its position, yet sufficiently 

 elastic to allow it to escape when the carpels burst away, remain- 

 ing attached, however, to the central pillar by their upper ends 

 (Fig. 7 c). 



In the common Herb Robert (Fig. 8), and some other species, the 

 arrangement is somewhat different. In the first place the whole 



