242 



MANUAL OF BOTANY 



long before the seeds are ripe. At other times the separation of 

 the fruit into valves is more or less complete, so that the nature 

 of the dehiscence is at once evident. There are various modifi- 

 cations of these complete forms of valvular dehiscence. In 

 fruits which are formed of but one carpel, the dehiscence may 

 take place by the ventral suture only, as in the Columbine (fig, 

 510) and Aconite (fig. 553) ; or by the dorsal suture only, as in 

 some Magnolias (fig. 511) ; or by both dorsal and ventral sutures, 



Fig. 51.3. 



Fig. 514. 



Fig. 515. 



V 



Fig. 516. 



Fig. 613. Capsule of the 

 septicidal dehiscence, 

 showing the placentas 

 515. One-celled fruit of 



cidal manner. Fig. 



loculici dally, w, v, v. 

 Diagram of loculicidal 

 with them. 



Fig. 517 





Meadow Saffron {Colchiciim aulitmtiale), showing 



-Fig. 514. Diagram of septicidal dehiscence, 



and seeds earned away with the valves. Fig. 



Heartsease ( Viola tricolor), dehiscing iu a loouli- 

 616. Capsule of a species of mtiscus, dehiscing 

 Valves, c Dissepiments, n. Seeds.— «ff. 517. 

 dehiscence, iu which the valves carry the placentas 



as in the Pea (fig. 512), Bean, and many other Leguminous 

 plants. This form of dehiscence is commonly known as sutural. 



In compound fruits having two or more cells, and therefore 

 axile placentation, there are three principal kinds of dehiscence, 

 which are called respectively, septicidal, loculicidal, and septi- 

 frag'al. 



A. Septicidal Dehiscence. — In this the fruit is separated int 

 its component ovaries or carpels by a division taking place 

 between the two halves of each dissepiment (figs. 513 and 514). 



