MULTILOCULAR DEHISCENT FRUITS 205 



A legume is a dry, unilocular fruit that dehisces by the 

 ventral and dorsal sutures, as in the bean and pea. 



A cochlea is a dry fruit composed of one pistil that is spirally 

 coiled at maturity, as in alfalfa. 



Multilocular Dehiscent Fruits. The multilocular fruits 

 are all capsules. 



A capsule is a dry, dehiscent fruit composed of two or 

 more carpels. Capsules are classified according to their 

 method of dehiscence into loculicidal, septicidal, septifragal, 

 circumscissile, poricidal and valvate capsules. 



A loculicidal capsule dehisces through the dorsal sutures 

 of each carpel, as in yellow field lily. 



A septifragal capsule dehisces by the separation of the 

 valves from the septum and from each other; as in stramo- 

 nium. 



A poricidal capsule dehisces by small circular openings or 

 pores, as in the poppy. 



A septicidal capsule dehisces through the septa or walls, 

 thus dividing and separating the carpels that form the 

 capsules; these later dehisce through their ventral suture, 

 as in columbine and violet. 



A valvate capsule dehisces by valves, as in the silique of 

 cabbage, and the silicle of Thlaspi arvense where the two 

 separate from the central partition. 



Multiple Dehiscent Fruits. A. strobilus is a multiple 

 dehiscent fruit composed of numerous dry, seed-bearing 

 scales arranged on a stalk. 



DESCRIPTION OF FIG. 132. 



Capsules. 1, Loculicidal, yellow field lily (Lilium canadense); (A) cross- 

 section, (B) side view of capsule; 2, Septifragal, thornapple (Datura stramo- 

 nium) ; 3, Porocidal, poppy (Papaver somniferum) ; 4, Septicidal (A) violet 

 (Viola sp.); (B) columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) ; 5, Valvate (A) cab- 

 bage (Brassica oleracea); (B) (Thalaspi arvense); 6, Circumscissile hen- 

 bane showing the fruit enclosed in the calyx, free of the calyx, lid removed, 

 end view of the capsule and a longitudinal section of the capsule. 



