SECTION 14.1 



FRUIT, 



123 



Poppy, or burst irregularly in some part, as in Lobelia and llie Suapdragou ; 

 but commonly it splits open (or is dehiscent) lengthwise into regular pieces, 

 called Valvks. 



371- Regular Dehiscence in a capsule takes place in two ways, which are 

 best illustrated in pods of two or three cells. It is either 



Loculicidul, or, splitting directly into the locidi or cells, that is, down 

 the back (or the dorsal suture) of each cell or carpel, as in 

 Iris (Fig. 395) ; or 



Septicidal, that is, splitting through the parlitioiis or septa, 

 as in St. John's-wort (Fig. 396), Rhododendron, 

 etc. This divides the capsule into its compo- 

 nent carpels, which then open by their ventral 

 suture. 



372. In loculicidal dehiscence the valves nat- 

 urally bear tlie partitions on their middle ; in 

 the septicidal, half the thickness of a partition 

 is borne on the margin of each valve. See the 

 annexed diagrams. A variation of either mode 

 occurs when the valves break away from the 

 ]iartitions, tliese remaining attached in the axis of 

 the fruit. This is called iS'(°/)////Y/^rt'/ dehiscence. 

 One form is seen in the Morning-Glory (Fig. 

 400). 



373. The capsules of Rue, Spurge, and some others, are both 

 cidal and septicidal, and so split 

 into hall'-carpcllary valves or pieces. 



374. The Silique (Fig. 401 ) is 

 the technical name of the peculiar 

 pod of the Mustard family ; which 

 is two-celled by a false partition 

 stretched across between two pa- 

 rietal placentiE. It generally opens 

 by two valves from below up- 

 ward, and the placentc'e with the 

 partition arc left behind when the 

 valves fall off. 



375. A Silicle or Pouch is only 

 a short and broad silique, like that 

 of the Shei)licrd's Purse, Fig. 402, 

 403. 



locuU 



Fig. 395. Cnpsule of Iris, with loculicidal dehiscence; below, cut acros.s. 

 Fig. .39(). Pod of a Marsh St. John's-wort, with septicidal dehiscence. 

 Fig. .397, 393. Diagrams of the two modes. 



Fig. 399. Diagram of septifVagal dehiscence of the loculicidal type. -100. Same 

 of the sopticirlal or inarginicidal type. 



