STRUCTURE OF FRUIT. 147 



are situated all along the ventral suture, the seeds 

 receive the fecundating matter by the branches of the 

 pistillary cord, which terminate there ; those at the top 

 receive it before the others, and their vital action imme- 

 diately commences; consequently, they ought to ripen 

 first : we see this in all polyspermous legumes and folli- 

 cles ; and as it is also at the top that the dehiscence of 

 the sutures commences, it follows that the seeds fall out 

 according as they ripen. 



As soon as the seeds have fallen out, or a little after, 

 the Valves of the legumes (this name is given to the 

 two portions of the carpellary leaf separated by the de- 

 hiscence of the sutures), the valves, I say, twist, either 

 rolling up towards the outside or spirally upon them- 

 selves, or by irregular torsions ; they sometimes retain, 

 on separating, their primitive position. 



The carpels frequently bear foliaceous or spiny tufts, 

 or tubercles, sometimes upon both margins of the 

 suture, sometimes upon their sides or valves ; these 

 peculiarities, which are sometimes of interest in order 

 to know such or such a fruit, are generally of but slight 

 importance in Carpology. 



All that we have said in this section is applicable — 

 1st. To carpels which are naturally isolated from each 

 other in the same flower, and which constitute what is 

 called a Compound fruit : such are the two follicles of 

 the Apocyneae, the verticillate carpels of Alisma and 

 Delphinium, the carpels collected into a head or spike in 

 Ranunculus. On combining what is contained in this 

 Section and in the preceding Chapter, it seems to me 

 that we have their complete history presented to us. 



2d. To carpels, which, originally resembling the pre- 

 ceding, have become solitary by the abortion of those 

 which ought, in the normal plan of the flower, to form a 

 complete verticil, as the solitary legume of most of the 



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