THE SYCONIUM 



125 



The Silique (Fifj. 354). — A (li-('ar])cllary deliiscent fruit, the two valves 

 separating- t'roiii the mar<^ins of tiie phieentae at maturity, leaving the 

 latter attached tt) the torus and to a false septum, whieh divides the 

 siiicpie into two ])arts. The ])riii(i{)al modification of the silique proper 

 is into the loment-like form which we have already considered. These 

 loment-producing ])lants are commonly found in the vicinity of water, 

 and their fruits are adaj)ted to transportation by this method. A more 

 im|)ortaiit modification is into: 



The Silicle (Fi^s. 'Ar>r^ to 357). — 'J'his difVers from the siH(iue not only 

 in being short and broad, but in possessing ordinarily some form of 

 adaptation to wind or other transportation, thus belonging in our first 

 class. 



The Capsule (Figs. 318 to 238).— The typical capsule is to be defined 

 as a di- to polycarpellary longitudinally dehiscent fruit. From the 

 typical form, however, it varies in several directions to such a degree 



SS^. 



J60. 



^6i 



<36Z 



Fig. 359. Giilbalus of ./i/Nipcrus. 300. Strobile of Picca. 3()1. Strobile of hop. 302. Syconium of 

 fig. 303. Pyxis of henliano. 



as to render it impossible to frame a perfect definition. The capsule 

 of the poi)py (Fig. 358) opens by a number of small pores at the summit, 

 and this is true of many other forms. In other cases the mode of opening 

 is by various forms of irregular dehiscence intermediate between the 

 longitudinal and tlic circumscissile. Finally, w(> must note that many 

 fruits, like those of some species of Passljlord, which possess no regular 

 or natural method of ()i)ening, are still classed as ca])sules by systematic 

 botanists. 



The Pyxis (Fig. :!().')). — A circumsci.ssily dehiscent fruit. 



The Syconium (Fig. 302). — A fruit consisting of a hollow branch, 

 becoming fleshy, its inner surface the recejitaclc for many >niall, 

 one-seeded, akcnc-likc fruits. 



