SEED-COLORATION 



385 



A curious distinction between capsules and legumes unfolded 

 itself as I collated my notes on fruits and seeds. As shown in 

 the subjoined comparison of the results given in the following 

 tables, the so-called immature or pre-resting seeds of capsules 

 are usually white, whilst those of leguminous pods are usually 

 green. The proportion of green seeds would have been still 

 greater for the pods, if herbaceous leguminous plants had 

 been as well represented as a strictly natural comparison would 

 have required. The green immature seed is typical of the 

 dehiscent legume, as is shown in the general table. Nearly all 

 the pods with green seeds are thus characterised. On the 

 other hand, the pods with white unripe seeds are generally 

 indehiscent, as in Mucufia, or break up into closed joints, as 

 in Entada. 



Summary of the Tables given below, showing the Colours of 

 Unripe or Pre-resting Seeds in Different Kinds of Fruits. 



Indication 

 that unripe 

 seeds are 

 usually vrhite 

 in capsules 

 and green in 

 leg^uminous 

 pods. 



With the exception of Canavalia the genera behave uniformly. 



As frequently happens in such cases, a number of points 

 have arisen during the development of this distinction, which it 

 is now too late for me to elucidate. Though in the habit of 

 noting the colour of immature seeds, I did not discover its 

 significance as a distinction between types of 'fruits until I 

 came to elaborate my notes on seed-coloration. 1 will not 

 enlarge on this distinction here ; but some of the characters 

 associated with it will be noticed when I deal a page or two 

 later with white and green immature seeds and with the colour 

 of the embryo. Below are appended the tables to which the 

 summary of results above given refers. 



25 



