DEHISCENT FRUITS 89 



is ripe the two carpels separate, but do not open. We 

 may, therefore, divide simple fruits into three groups : — 

 (i) Dehiscent fruits, the carpels of which open spontaneously. 

 (2) Indehiscent fruits, the carpels of which remain closed, 

 and, if syncarpous, do not separate. (3) Separating fruits, 

 which are always syncarpous, and the carpels of which separate 

 without opening. 



Again, comparing the fruits of the Pea, Wallflower, and 

 Buttercup with those of the Honeysuckle, Gooseberry, and 

 Currant, the first three have a thin, dry, hard or brittle 

 pericarp ; whereas the second three possess a fresh, more or 

 less fleshy or succulent pericarp. We may, therefore, further 

 classify fruits into (i) dry fruits; (2) fleshy or succulent 

 fruits. 



CLASSIFICATION OF SIMPLE FRUITS 



DEHISCENT FRUITS (Carpels opening) 



A. DRY (Dehiscent). 



(i.) One-carpellary (composed of one carpel). 



(a) Opening down the ventral suture only, contain- 

 ing one or more seeds {e.g. Pseony, Winter- 

 Aconite) = Follicle. 



ip) Opening down the two sutures, dorsal and 

 ventral, and containing one or more seeds 

 {e.g. Pea, Bean, Clover) = Legume. 



(ii.) Two-carpellary (composed of two carpels). 



{a) The two carpels separate as two valves, com- 

 mencing from below upwards, and leave the 

 seeds attached to a persistent frame-like parietal 

 placenta which is termed the replum. The 

 chamber of the fruit may {e.g. Cruciferce) be 

 divided into two chambers by a thin septum 

 which spans the space between the two parietal 

 placentae and persists in the fruit (fig. 120); 

 or there may be no such septum, so that the 

 ovary is one-chambered as is the fruit — e.g. 

 Chelidonium (fig. 121). A number of seeds 

 are present in the fruit = Siliqua. 



