18 



ACHENE 



[CH. 



small, indehiscent fruit, but may be syncarpous; it is very 

 generally confounded with a " seed " by the tyro. Good 

 examples of achenes occur in Buttercup (Figs. 15, 16), 



Fig. 15. Ranunculus arvensis, 

 seterio of achenes (Bai). 



Fig. 16. Ibid., single achene cut 

 down the middle (Bai). 



Potentilla, Anemone, &c. in each case there is an seterio 

 of achenes Strawberry also having an aeterio, but with 

 the torus fleshy and in the Rose-hip (Fig. 17), where the 

 achenes are sunk in the fleshy receptacle. In the Fig 

 also, the little hard seed-like bodies are the true fruits, 

 achenes, each in this case being the product of a single 

 flower (Fig. 68). 



In grasses e.g. Wheat, Barley, Maize, &c. the coats 

 of the achene are so closely fused with those of the true 

 seed inside, that there is more excuse for the popular idea 

 that such grains are seeds, and the fruit is termed a 

 Caryopsis. In this case it should be noted that the closely 

 investing coat is often something more than the pericarp, 

 the husks often consisting of the chaff-scales (glumes, &c.) 

 as well e.g. Rice, Barley, Coix, &c. 



