146 FRUITS. 



(74) Caraway Seeds. 



The fruit of Carum Carvi, Linn. (N.O.Umbelliferae). 

 The fruit exhibits the following structure : 



(1) An outer epidermis, composed of axially elongated cells 

 with striated cuticle and pitted walls ; here and there a stoma 

 is visible, but it offers no remarkable features. 



(2) A narrow layer of parenchymatous tissue, consisting of 

 irregular polygonal cells; this tissue is traversed by fibro- vascular 

 bundles, which are situated in the ridges of the fruit, and are 

 supported by strands of sclerenchymatous cells; the latter 

 possess pitted walls, but vary greatly in size and shape. Six 

 large brown vittse also occur in this tissue. 



(3) An inner epidermis, composed of polygonal, thin-walled 

 cells, which are all tangentially elongated and exhibit a v 

 regular arrangement. 



(4) The seed-coat, consisting of a single layer of small 

 polygonal cells of a rather dark brown colour. 



(5) The endosperm, made up of rather thick-walled cells 

 containing aleurone grains and fixed oil. 



The diagnostic characters of powdered caraways are : 



(a) The abundant sclerenchymatous tissue. 



(b) The absence of hairs and of spiral and reticulate cells 



(c) The striated epidermis. 



(d) The large cells of the inner epidermis and their 

 regular arrangement. 



(e) The small aleurone grains. 



