114 



FRUITS 



Description. The two mericarps of which the fruit consists remain 

 firmly united by their margins, and enclose ' between them a small 

 cavity, the cremocarp being nearly globular in shape. The fruit is 

 of small size, averaging only about 5 mm. in diameter, of a uniform 

 brownish yellow colour, and quite glabrous. It is crowned by the 

 remains of the calyx-teeth and styles, and bears on each mericarp five 

 inconspicuous wavy primary ridges (containing fibro- vascular bundles) 

 and four more conspicuous, straight, secondary ridges alternating 

 with the primary. Both transverse and radial sections show a curved 



FIG. 62. Coriander fruit. A, whole fruit (cremocarp), magnified 

 3 diam. ; B, commissural surface of half-fruit (mericarp), show- 

 ing the vittse as dark lines ; C, longitudinal section through 

 both mericarps, showing the endosperm and embryo, magnified 

 3 diam. ; D, transverse section, showing the vittse, p, magni- 

 fied 14 diam. ; E, portion of the same, further enlarged ; K, primary 

 ridges; X, secondary ridges ; 2, endosperm. (Berg.) 



endosperm (suborder Coelospermece), and on the former only two 

 vittse, both of which are situated on the commissural surface, can be 

 discerned. In addition to these, however, the young ovary contains 

 vittae on the dorsal surface ; as the fruit ripens these become com- 

 pressed and break down into tangentially elongated cavities, the outer 

 portion of the pericarp being finally thrown off. 



The odour of the bruised fruit is aromatic, and the taste agreeable 

 and spicy. 



The student should observe 



(a) The firmly united mericarps, 



(6) The wavy primary and straight secondary ridges, 



(c) The two vittce on each commissural surface. 



