SEPTICIDAL AND LOCULICIDAL DEHISCENCE, 303 
of the fruit into valves is more or less complete, so that the 
nature of the dehiscence is at once evident. There are various 
modifications of these complete forms of valvular dehiscence. 
Thus, in fruits which are formed of but one carpel, the dehis- 
cence may take place by the ventral suture only, as in the 
Columbine (jig. 666), and Aconite (fig. 698) ; or by the dorsal 
suture only, as in some Magnolias ( fig. 667) ; or by both dorsal 
and ventral sutures, as in the Pea (fig. 668), Bean, and many 
other Leguminous plants. This form of dehiscence is commonly 
known as sutwral. 
In compound fruits having two or more cells, and therefore 
with axile or central placentation, there are three principal 
kinds of dehiscence, which are called respectively, septicidal, 
loculicidal, and septifragal. 
A. Septicidal Dehiscence.—In this the fruit is separated into 
its component ovaries or carpels, by a division taking place 
Fic. 669. 
Fic. 670. Fig. 671. 
V A 
Fig. 669. Capsule of the Meadow Saffron (Colchi- 
cum autumnale), showing septicidal dehiscence. 
Fig. 670. Diagram of septicidal dehiscence 
showing the placentas and seeds carried away 
with the valves. Fig. 671. Diagram of septi- 
cidal dehiscence, showing the valves breaking 
away from a central column formed by the 
union of the placentas. 
between the two halves of each dissepiment (figs. 669-671). Ex- 
amples may be seen in Colchicum and Rhododendron. Here 
each valve corresponds to a carpel, and the valves are said to 
have their margins turned inwards. In this dehiscence the pla- 
centas with the seeds attached are either carried away with the 
valves (fig. 670), as in Colchicum; or the valves break away 
from the placentas, which remain united and form a central 
column (fig. 671). 
B. Loculicidal Dehiscence.—This is said to occur when each 
carpel opens by its dorsal suture, or through the back of the 
cells, the dissepiments remaining undivided (figs. 672-674). 
Here each valve is composed of the united halves of two 
adjoining carpels, and the valves are said to bear the dissepi- 
