THE FRUIT 



151 



328. The pods or dehiscent fruits belonging to a compound ovary- 

 have several technical names : but they all may be regarded as 

 kinds of 



329. The capsule, the dry and dehiscent fruit of any- 

 compound pistil. The capsule may discharge its seeds 

 through chinks or pores, as in the Poppy, or burst irregu- 

 larly in some part, as in Lobelia and the Snapdragon; 

 but commonly it splits open (or is dehiscent) lengthwise 

 into regular pieces, called Valves. 



330. Regular dehiscence in a capsule takes place in 



two 'ways, which are best illustrated 

 in pods of two or three cells. It is 

 either 



Loculicidal, or, splitting directly 

 into the loculi or cells, that is, down the back (or 

 the dorsal suture) of each cell or carpel, as in 

 Iris (Fig. 270) ; or 



Septicidal, that is, splitting through the parti- 

 tions or septa, as in St. John's-wort (Fig. 271), 

 Rhododendron, etc. This divides the capsule 

 into its component carpels, which then open 

 by their ventral suture. 



331. In loculicidal dehiscence the valves naturally bear the parti- 

 tions on their middle ; in the septicidal, half the partition is borne on 

 the margin of each valve. See the annexed diagrams. Fig. 272. A 



270. Capsule 

 of Iris. 



271 



Septicidal cap- 

 sule of St. 

 John's-wort. 



272. Diagrams of the various modes 

 of dehiscence : a, loculicidal ; 

 b, septicidal ; c, d, septifragal. 



273, 274. Fruit of the Fig: 273, fruit 

 laid open ; 274, a part magnitied 

 to show the minute, interior 

 flowers. 



variation of either mode occurs when the valves break away from the 

 partitions, these remaining attached in the axis of the fruit. This is 

 called sepiifragal dehiscence. 



332. The syconium, or fig fruit (Fig. 278), is a fleshy axis or 

 summit of stem, hollowed out, and lined within by a multitude of 

 minute flowers, the whole becoming pulpy, and, in the common fig 

 luscious. 



