12 



FIELD AND WOODLAND PLANTS 



flowers, which contain cither no stamens or no pistil. If such 

 possess stamens and no pistil, they are called staminate or male 

 flowers ; and if pistil and no stamens, pistillate or female flowers. 

 These two kinds are sometimes borne on the same plant, when they 

 are said to be monoecious ; but often on separate plants {dioecious), 

 as in some of the Nettleworts and the Willow Tree. Spikes of 

 unisexual flowers, such as are common among our forest trees, are 

 called cMkins. 



The Fruit and Seed 



After the ovules have been impregnated by the pollen they 

 develop into seeds, each of which consists of or contains an embryo 



1. rod. 



2. Siliqua. 



3. Silicula. 



DEHISCENT FRLTTTS 



4. Follicles (cluster of three). G. Capsule splitting transversely. 



5. Capsule splitting longitudinallj-. 7. Capsule splitting by pores. 



plant ; and, at the same time, the ovary itself enlarges, changing 

 its character more or less, till it becomes a ripened y>-?a7. 



Fruits vary very considerably in their general characters, but 

 may be divided into two main groups — those that split when ripe 

 {dehiscent fruits) and those which do not split {indehiscent fruits). 



The principal forms of dehiscent fruits are : — 



1. The pod or legume, which splits into two valves, with placenta 

 on one side. 



2. The siliqua, a long, narrow fruit that splits into two valves 

 which separate from a membrane with placenta on both sides. 



3. The silicula, of the same nature as the siliqua, but about 

 as broad as it is long. 



