2 54 STUDIES IN SEEDS AND FRUITS 



We see from these results that in the ripe berry only a 

 small shrinkage of the seeds occurs, namely, about 14 per cent., 

 and that the seeds have still much of their water to lose in 

 drying. In the capsule the same small shrinkage takes place 

 before dehiscence, but the principal loss of weight and the 

 greater part of the contraction occur after the seeds have 

 been exposed to the air. In the pod practically all the shrink- 

 age of the seeds is carried out in the closed fruit, and when 

 dehiscence occurs normal resting seeds are exposed. The 

 seeds of a capsule are thus placed at a disadvantage when 

 compared with those of a pod, since in the pod the seeds 

 are protected until sufficiently hardened, whilst in the capsule 

 they are usually exposed in a relatively soft and in a less 

 protected state on account of the dehiscence taking place at 

 a much earlier stage. 



The parallelism, or rather the correspondence, between 

 the stages of the maturation and the drying of berries, 

 legumes, and capsules, may be put in the following manner :■ — ■ 



(i) The green berry, the green capsule, and the green 

 legume of maximum size, with their large, soft, white or green 

 seeds, are all in the same stage. 



(2) The ripe, juicy berry, the mellowing, still closed capsule, 

 and the legume just beginning to discolour represent the 

 next stage, which is characterised by a slight shrinking of 

 the seeds, and by their coloration when white, or by a 

 change of colour if green. Though evident enough in the 

 berry, this stage is transient and often disguised in the capsule 

 and legume, points which will be further discussed in the 

 succeeding chapter. It is early in this stage that the shrinking 

 of the cord or funicle marks in dehiscent fruits the commence- 

 ment of the severing of the seed's connection with the parent 

 plant. 



(3) The shrivelling berry, the capsule dehiscing and losing 

 much of its water in the air, the drying and blackening but 

 still closed legume, belong to the next stage. Dehiscence 

 occurs at a much earlier stage with the capsule than with the 



