THE rnviT 



151 



328. The poiVs or dehiscent IViiils lieloiigiiig' to a coinpomiil o\'arv 

 have several technical iiauies: but the)' all may be reyariled as 

 kinds of 



329. The capsule, the drj' <and deliiscent fruit of any 

 compound pistil. The cajisule may discharge its seeds 

 llirough cliinks or pores, as in tlie l'o|'py, or bin-sl invgu- 

 larly in some part, as in Lobelia ami llie Sna[)dragon; 

 Imt commonly it spHts open (or is ilf/ii.icrnl) lengthwise 

 into legular pieces, called V.\i,\'ES. 



330. Regular dehiscence in a cajisule takes place in 



two ways, which are best illustrated 



ill pods of two or three cells. It is _,_„ 7' 



^ 2(0. Capsute 



either of Iris. 



Loculiculal, or, splitting directly 



into the loculi or cells, that is, down the bacli (or 



the dorsal suture) of eacli cell or carpel, as in 



Iris (Fig. 270); or 



Sejiliciilul, that is, splitting through the parti- 

 271. Septieidal cap- ^-^^^^ ^^. ^,^^,,„^ ,,g j,, y^^ ,Toln,-s-wort (Fig. L'71), 



Johu's-wort Hhododeiidron, etc. This divides the capsule 

 into its component carpels, which then open 

 by their ventral suture. 



331. In loculicidal deliiscence the valves naturally bear the parti- 

 tions on tlieir middle; in tlie septiciilal, half the partition is borne on 

 the nia)'"in of each valve. 8ee the .'innexcd diagrams. Fig. L'7'-.'. A 



272. Diagrams ot the vai'iciiis modes 273,274. Frnit of me Fig: 273, fruit 

 of ilelii.sceiice : a, loculicidal ; laid open ; 274, a part magnified 



5, septieidal ; c, (/, septifragal. to show the minute, interior 



flowers. 



variation of either mode occurs when the valves break aw.av from the 

 partitions, tliese remaining attached in the axis of tlie fruit. Tliis is 

 called se/jlifnii/iil dehiscence. 



332. The syconium, or fig fruit (Fig. 27o). is a fleshy axis or 

 summit of stem, hollowed out, and liueil within liy a multitude of 

 minute flowers, the wdiole becoming pulpy, and, in the coinmon tlg^ 

 luscious, 



