330 FRUITS AND SEEDS 



B. Classification of Fruits. — There is no such classifi- 

 cation of fruits as there is of flowers. They are not so 



useful as flowers are in identifying plants. 

 This is not because they are more variable 

 than flowers; in fact, the contrary is true. 

 It is chiefly because they are much more 

 simple than flowers, and so do not afford in 

 equal degree the means for writing identifying 

 descriptions. They lack those numerous 

 separate organs which flowers possess and 

 Fig. 144. — Fruit upon whose variations the classification of 

 (akene)ofstick- pi an t s j s principally based. Fruits are, how- 

 tight (Bidens). * , , \ n r 

 ever, second only to flowers as a means of 



identification. Often, in case of doubt, it is the character 

 of the fruit which determines the identity of the plant. 

 In collecting specimens, it is always important to obtain 

 the fruit if possible. 



C. Dehiscent and Indehiscent Fruits. — Fruits, considered 

 apart from the plants which bear them, may be grouped 

 in various ways. One way is to group them into those 

 which are dehiscent and those which are indehiscent. 

 Fruits that open on maturity, permitting the ready escape 

 of the seeds, are called dehiscent ; those which do not open 

 are called indehiscent. In the former it is generally the 

 seed that is scattered, while in the latter it is generally the 

 fruit as a whole that is scattered. 



Pods, such as those of beans and peas, are examples of 

 dehiscent fruits. (See Figure 145, A.) Capsules are like 

 pods in general appearance, and are commonly called pods, 

 but the technical difference is that pods come from simple 

 pistils, while capsules come from compound pistils and 



