170 BOTANY. [chap. v. 



or for dispersive purposes — that is, by some means facili- 

 tating the removal of the fruit from the neighbourhood 

 of the parent plant, and depositing it in pastures new. 

 The contrivances for eflfecting dispersion are very varied, 

 and are mostly confined to those fruits that are indehis- 

 cent, or do not open in a definite manner at maturity for 

 the purpose of allowing the seeds to escape ; as examples 

 of such may be mentioned, peach, gooseberry, orange, 

 cocoa-nut, etc. The succulent and edible nature of the 

 group of fruits popularly known as stone-fruits, and many 

 others, is a dispersive contrivance ; the fruits are eaten 

 by animals, and consequently the seeds are dropped at 

 maybe a considerable distance from the parent plant j in 

 many such cases the seed is inclosed in a hard " shell," 

 which is a specialized portion of the fruit for the object 

 of protecting the seed from harm during its passage 

 through the alimentary canal. The bright colours of most 

 edible fruits are attractive in function, indicating to birds 

 or mammals their whereabouts. In other instances the 

 surface of the fruit is furnished with hooked spines that 

 catch hold of the wool or hair of an animal, and are thus 

 dispersed ; the fruit of our common bedstraws {Oalivm] , 

 popularly known as " cleavers," illustrate this idea. In 

 another group of fruits, certain portions of the fruit are 

 flattened out into flat, wing-like portions for the purpose 

 of utilizing the wind as a dispersive agent; amongst 

 such may be mentioned the fruit of the ash, syca- 

 more, etc. 



Fruits that open in a definite manner at maturity for 

 the purpose of allowing the seeds to escape are said to be 

 dehiscent ; examples, pea, wallflower, violet, poppy, etc. 

 In some instances the seeds are dispersed by the sudden 



