LABORATORY PRACTICE CHAP, xxix 



CHAPTER XXIX 



DRY INDEHISCENT FRUITS 



THE dry fruits (that is, those whose pericarp at maturity 

 is not fleshy) which do not open, remain to be considered. 

 If we were to go into the classification of such fruits, we 

 should need to consider in each case whether it resulted 

 from the ripening of a simple or of a compound pistil, dis- 

 tinguishing two classes as follows : 



1. Nuts, dry indehiscent fruits from compound pistils. 



2. Achenes, dry indehiscent fruits from simple pistils. 



But without considering this matter too carefully, we shall 

 devote our attention to the different methods and agencies 

 employed by these fruits to travel abroad and to carry the 

 seeds contained within them to some more or less distant 

 place. 



The three different agencies most commonly employed 

 are : 



1 . Animals of various kinds. 



2. The wind. 



3. Water. 



