THE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM 351 



ovary is the pericarps which may bo dry as in marsh-marigold 

 and nearl}' all the other genera, or may he fleshy as in bane- 

 berries. When the pericarp opens to release the seeds it is 

 said to be dehiscent;- and the manner of opening, its dehis- 

 cence. The pericarp of marsh-marigold dehisces by a vertical 

 slit, or suture ^ along the ventral or inner side, i. e., the side 

 toward the axis of the flower. A dry fruit consisting of one 

 carpel dehiscing by the ventral or by the dorsal suture alone 

 is called a follicle J For other examples see Figs. 282, 287. 

 A dry pericarp consisting of two or more carpels is termed a 

 capsuled The fruit of fennel-flowers (Fig. 286) is a capsule 

 in which each carpel dehisces by a short ventral suture near 

 the top. A further peculiarity of the pericarp of the species 

 illustrated is that except where the carpels are united, the 

 wall separates into an outside and an inside layer, leaving a 

 considerable empt}' space between. 



Pericarps w^iich do not open are said to be indehiscent. A 

 small, dry, indehiscent fruit, like that of crowfoots, anemonies, 

 and mouse-tails is termed an achene.^ A fruit like that of 

 baneberries in which the whole pericarp is fleshy, is a berry. 



In a seed, as we have seen (page 316), there is an outer pro- 

 tective layer, the seed-coat, enclosing the embryo and the 

 seed-food or albumen. In marsh-marigold (Fig. 185) the 

 seed-coat is of unequal thickness, the embryo minute and 

 situated near one end of a comparatively large amount of 

 albumen. Seeds essentially similar are found in the other 

 members of the family. 



In every part of the marsh-marigold, as we have seen 

 (page 208), there is a colorless juice which is of sharp taste 

 and poisonous properties if eaten fresh and raw. Such an 

 acrid, watery juice containing a more or less poisonous, usually 

 volatile, principle, is generally present throughout the family. 

 Crowfoots, anemonies, and monkshoods, will be remem- 



' Per'-i-carp < Gr. peri, around; karpos, fruit. 



- De-his'-cent < L. dehiscere, yawn. 



^ Su'-ture < L. sidura, a seam. 



^ Fol'-li-cle < follicidiis, dim. oi follis, a wind bag. 



5 Cap'-sulp < L. CQpsida, dim. of capsn, a box. 



• A-chene' < Gr. a, not ; chainein, yawn. 



