124 



CLASSIFICATION OF FRUITS 



The fruit of the Dipteryx is one-seeded and is dehiscent, but the peri- 

 carp is enormously thickened and first fleshy, then spongy. That of the 

 Cassia Fistula has its seeds enclosed in a pulp and partly separated from 

 one another by transverse septa. It is thus apparent that many 

 legumes pertain to our first, rather than to our second, division. 



■3J4. 



3SS. 



■3S6. 



Fig. 347. Spikelet of a grass. 348. Caryopsis from last. 349. Follicle of Ascle-pias. 350. Legume 

 of pea. 351. Loment of Aeschynomene. 352. Loment of Sophora, 353. Cochlea of Prosopis. 354. 

 Silique of Cardamine. 355. Silicle of Aethiomena, 356. Silicle of Hexaptera. 357. Silicic of Succowia, 

 358. Capsule of poppy. 



Two distinctive forms of the legume have become dignified by the 

 application of special names, as follows : 



The Loment (Figs. 351 and 352) is a leguminous fruit which may or 

 may not be dehiscent, but which is separable at maturity by transverse 

 divisions into one-seeded parts. In the Aeschynomene these parts are 

 adapted to fixation to passing bodies, or occasionally also much flattened 

 and expanded to act as samaras. In the Sophora (Fig. 352) the joints 

 are smooth, hard and rounded, and highly elastic, so that, in falling 

 upon the stony soil, they are adapted to bounding and running to a 

 considerable distance. The term loment has also been extended to 

 include those siliques which display a similar character. 



The Cochlea (Fig. 353). — A legume which is spirally coiled. 



