FRUITS AND SEEDS 191 
hairs. The awn is hygroscopic, winding up in dry 
weather, and uncoiling in damp. When it falls to the 
ground, the fruit may be blown along by the wind, or, 
if the wind is insufficient to move it, it will slowly crawl 
about by the winding and unwinding of the awn. On 
reaching a soft spot, the movements of the awn will force 
the pointed end of the mericarp into the soil ; here it is 
anchored fast by the reflexed bristles which cover its 
beak. 
In the Umbellifere the schizocarp, which is inferior, 
splits into two one-seeded portions (Fig. 96). In the 
mallow (Fig. 97) and hollyhock the ovary is superior and 
Fie. 94.—DovusLEe Samara Fic. 95.—Scuizocare OF SToRK’s-BILL 
OF SYCAMORE. (Erodium), SHOWING MERICARPS SPLIT- 
TING AWAY FROM CENTRAL PILLAR. 
a, persistent calyx. To the right a 
completely detached mericarp. 
multilocular, and separates into numerous achenial 
sections. In the Labiate the fruit consists of four nutlets 
derived from a two-carpelled ovary. This ovary was 
originally two-chambered, with two seeds in each chamber, 
but by the ingrowth of the wall, four chambers are formed, 
each containing one seed. The chambers then separate, 
and we get four little nuts. 
Generally speaking, we may say that in a dry syn- 
carpous fruit, if each chamber contains but one seed, 
the carpels separate into one-seeded indehiscent portions ; 
if many seeds are present, each chamber splits open to 
allow for the escape of the seeds, and we get a capsule. 
It is simply a question of biological convenience. 
