14 CAPSULE [CH. 



plurilocular, they may be septal (Poppy) ; in plurilocular 

 capsules the placentae are axile as a rule. 



Another important point about the capsule is its 

 mode of dehiscence. In most cases the splitting occurs 

 longitudinally, either down the sutures where the placen- 

 tiferous margins of the carpels cohere (septicidal), when the 

 valves represent the carpellary leaves and usually bring 

 the placenta? away at their margins (Colchicum, Fig. 9) ; 

 or the dehiscence is down the middle of the dorsal 

 suture (mid-rib) of each carpel (loculicidal), when the 

 valves represent two half-carpels each and generally bring 

 the placentae away down their centres (Violet, Fig. 11); 

 or, finally, such splitting may be accompanied by a 



Fig. 11. Pansy, loculicidal, one- Fig. 12. Lychnis, capsule 



chambered capsule (Le M). dehiscing by teeth (Le M). 



splitting down the septa themselves {septifragal) as in 

 Datura (Fig. 10), &c, and in these cases the placentae are 

 usually left behind on the axis. 



In much rarer cases the dehiscence is transverse, so 

 that the top of the capsule lifts off like a lid, as in 

 Pimpernel, Lecythis, Plantain, Henbane, Purslane : such 

 a capsule is termed a Pyxis (compare Figs. 48, 49). 



In other cases the dehiscence is less complete than in 

 the above, and mere tooth-like valves the tops of the 

 carpels separate above as teeth (Fig. 12), the number of 

 which differs for the species, &c. (e.g. Lychnis, Primrose). 



