CAPSULE. ; O53 
the oak, chestnut, some of the grasses, &c., it is chiefly or entirely deposited in the 
seed. ; ' — 
FIG. 16.— Modes of dehiscence ; 1, Locw.icidal ; 2, Septicidal ; 3, Septifragal. The straight 
lines represent the dissepiments. 
1115. Dehiscence. When the pencarp has arrived at maturity, 
it either remains permanently closed (indehiscent) as the acorn, 
or it separates into parts forming openings. These parts are 
called valves, and these openings, the dehiscence. Regular de- 
hiscence is always vertical, and is called, 
1. Loculicidal (loculus, a cell, cedo, to cut), when it takes 
place by the opening of the dorsal suture of each carpe! directly 
into the cell. Ex. lily. 
2. Septicidal (septum, a wall, and cedo), when it takes place 
through the dissepiments (which are doubled, §85, c). Ex. 
mallows. 
3. Septifragal (septum, and frango, to break), when the valves 
separate from the dissepiments, which remain still united in the 
axis. Ex. Convolvulus. | 
4. Sutural (sutura,a seam), when it takes place at one or + 
both sutures, in a fruit with a simple carpel. Ex. pea. 
5. An irregular dehiscence, called czrcwmscissile (ctrcumscindo, 
to cut around), occurs in the plantain, verbena, henbane, &c., 
where the top of the pericarp falls off like alid. (Fig. 18; 16.) 
_ 116. The forms of the pericarp are exceedingly diversified, and have been 
studied by botanists with great attention. The following varieties are generally 
described in elementary works. 
1. Capsute (a casket), is a term applied to those pericarps 
which are of a hard and woody texture, proceeding from a com- 
pound ovary, dehiscing at the side or top, by valves, or some- 
times by pores only. 
a. The capsule consists of only one cell, or is divided within 
