GOUPOUNV^ PODS 



265 



3136. The pupil can now determine the dehiscense in Figs. 253 and 

 254, and of other pods which he may find attached to plants in winter 

 or early spring. The characters of the dehiscence usually are not 

 obscured by this long period of weathering. He will be interested 

 in examining the pods of blue-flags, tulips, lilies, mulleins, toad- 

 flax, phlox, datura or jimson-weed, canna, St. John's-wort, and many 

 other common things. 



313c. Those living in the South will be interested in studying 

 the cotton (Pig. 255). The fruit is a capsule, splitting loculieidally, 

 and the seeds are covered with the fiber, which is woven into 

 fabrics. The picture shows that the pod is furnished with an 

 involueel. How and where are the seeds attached ? How many 

 seeds are there in each fruit ? How is the cotton packed away ? 

 How many carpels are there, and does the number vary in differ- 

 ent fruits ? 



314. A 

 Fig. 256. 



pod of the morning-glory is shown in 

 The dehiscence is essentially septicidal, 

 but the outside 

 wall of the cap- 

 sule breaks away 

 from the dissepi- 

 ment. The fall- 

 ing seeds (two in 

 each locule) are at 

 a a, and a valve 

 at V. This is sep- 

 tifragal dehiscence. 

 Septifragal dehis- 

 cence (the separa- 

 tion of the valves from the partitions) may occui 

 in either loculicidal or septicidal pods. The im- 



FiG. 253. 



Pod of shrubby 

 hibiscus. 



Fia. 254. 

 Pod of day-lily or funkia. 



