LOMENTUM—DRUPE—- UTRICLE. 311 
if a little pressure be applied as in the ordinary process of 
shelling peas. 
2. The Lomentum.—This is a kind of legume which is con- 
tracted in a moniliform manner between each seed, as in Hedy- 
sarum (fig. 686), Ornithopus, and Acacia Sophora ( fig. 692). It 
is sometimes called a lomentaceous legume. This fruit, together 
with the legume, characterise the plants of the Leguminose. 
When the lomentum is ripe, it commonly separates into as many 
pieces as there are contractions on its surface (fig. 686), or it 
remains entire (fig. 692) ; in the latter case the seeds are sepa- 
rately enclosed in cavities which are formed by the production 
of as many internal spurious dissepiments as there are external 
contractions. 
3. The Drupe.—This is a superior, one-celled, one- or two- 
seeded, indehiscent fruit, having a fleshy or pulpy sarcocarp, a 
hard or bony endocarp or pyrene, and the pericarp altogether 
separable into its component parts, namely, of epicarp, sarco- 
Fie. 693. Fic. 694. 
Fig. 693. Drupe of the Peach.— Fig. 624. The same cut vertically. 
carp, and endocarp. The Drupe is sometimes called a stone- 
fruit. Examples occur in the Peach (figs. 693 and 694), Apricot, 
Plum, Cherry (fig. 695), and Olive. In the Almond, the fruit 
presents all the characters of the drupe, except that here the 
sarcocarp is of a toughish texture, instead of being succulent. 
Many fruits, such as the Walnut and Cocoa-nut, are sometimes 
termed drupes, but improperly so, as they are in reality com- 
pound, or formed originally from two or more carpels or ovaries, 
besides presenting other characters differing from simple fruits. 
(See Tryma, page 318, and Glans, page 319.) A number of 
drupes aggregated together on a common thalamus form collec- 
tively a kind of Etzrio (see Er#rio). Any fruit which resembles 
the drupe in its general characters is frequently termed drupa- 
ceous or drupe-like. 
4. The Utricle is a superior, one-celled, one or few-seeded 
fruit, with a thin. membranous, loose pericarp, not adhering to 
