THE THREE CONDITIONS OF THE SEED 41 



generally applies. That there is a real distinction between the 

 seeds of berries and pods in this respect is shown in the 

 comparison made below ; but it will not be possible here to do 

 more than allude to it in passing. It will be futile to attempt 

 to discuss it until the relations between fruits and seeds have 

 been studied, a subject treated with detail in a subsequent 

 chapter. 



COMPARISON OF THE SHRINKING AND SWELLING RATIOS (THE RESTING 

 SEED BEING TAKEN AS i) OF THE SEEDS OF BERRIES OR BERRY- 

 LIKE FRUITS WITH THOSE OF THE SEEDS OF LEGUMES. 



Only very moist baccate fruits are here named, the seeds 

 of relatively dry berries losing rather more in the shrinking 

 process, such as those of Hedera Helix (Ivy) and Berberis, where 

 the shrinking ratios are 2*00 and 1*92 respectively. Bearing 

 this in mind, it would appear from the foregoing comparison 

 that whilst the seed of a moist berry when the fruit dries up 

 loses on the average about a third of its weight, the unripe 

 seed of the leguminous green pod during the shrinking pro- 

 cess loses as a rule rather more, and sometimes much more 

 than half its weight on entering the resting state. 



Yet considerations such as these do not carry us very far There is 

 in dealing with the problem of the varying swelling ratios of " 



distinc- 



seeds, since it is apparent from Table B that there are whole tion j s T^ 1 not 

 groups of plants with dry-looking fruits, such as the Cereals 



