152 FRUITS. 



(77) Cummin Fruit. 



The fruit of Cuminum Cyminum, Linn. (N.O. Umbelliferse). 

 The fruit exhibits the following structure :- - 



(1) An outer epidermis composed of polygonal cells and provided 

 over the secondary ridges with conical, pluricellular, pluriserial 

 hairs. 



(2) A tissue, corresponding to the mesocarp, traversed by 

 five fib ro vascular bundles situated below the primary ri3ges. 

 This tissue also contains six vittse, four of which are placed 

 below the secondary ridges and the remaining two on the 

 commissural surface. In this tissue and near the fibro-vascular 

 bundles sclerenchymatous cells of varying shape are to be found ; 

 some are polygonal and elongated, others sinuous, etc., but 

 all of them have thick, pitted walls. The bundles themselves 

 are accompanied by sclerenchymatous fibres with lignified walls. 



(3) An inner epidermis composed of tolerably regular 

 polygonal cells all elongated in the same direction. 



(4) A seed-coat consisting of brown polygonal cells. 



(5) An endosperm with thick-walled cells in which alenrone 

 grains, fixed oil and small rosette crystals of calcium oxalate 

 are contained. 



The diagnostic characters of powdered cummin fruit are : 



(a) The pluricellular, pluriserial hairs. 



(6) The sclerenchymatous cells from the mesocarp. 



(c) The large oil-ducts. 



(d) The contents of the cell > of the endosperm. 



