SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



319 



the base and from each other, curving with great 

 energy, not strictly like a watch-spring, in that 

 they do not lie from base to tip in one plane. The 

 base of each valve, as it curves rapidly upwards, 

 wrenches the seeds from their points of attach- 



may also be observed that the seeds do not hang 

 vertically from their stalks, but a little sideways, 

 so that when pressed upwards they can more 

 readily yield. The strong, rigid curve of the 

 separated valves shows what tension exists in the 



Royle':, B'.: 



N. node with whorl of three 

 leave-. I. U 'f win 



■ 1] vein ; S, v ■ 



on February 2nd, 

 ibtjh. self-sown and out of doors , 

 li 1 egoist 

 petals; St, cluster of con 



pi til I 

 fruit just bffore bursting, R, 



rult-cipBut'- , PI, P 



with seeds attached 1 Pus, pla 

 ccnta. seeds re- 



mem to the placenta, and in so doing gives them 

 ropctus outwards. If the coils of 

 the valves were flat and not obliquely wound 

 they would often involve the seeds instead of giving 

 them, as they do, an oblique push outwards. It 



rip<; fruit, but so long as the tip and base o each 

 valve are in place they obviously cannot curve. 

 paratlon from thi ba 1 1 1 t ho fruit, however, 

 brought about, allows the tendency to free play. 

 Road, ll«> 



