DISSIMULATION OF FRUITS AND 8EKDS. 253 



come the national emblem. The objections to it are of less weight than 

 those against the ones now prominently mentioned. It is surely the opinion 

 of the majority of the people in the Union that the columbine is the only 

 flower which can possibly meet the conditions essential for Columbia's floral 

 emblem. 



DISSIMULATION OF FRUITS AND SEEDS 



BY 



Stanley W. Scott. 



(Read before the Maynard Chapter of the Newton Natural History Society, 



Dec .1 , 1899.) 



It is said that the ultimate object of every plant is its own peipetua- 

 tion. If this be so, then the dispersion of the seed is an important opeiation. 

 This is not accomplished by any one means, but through various agencies 

 and in a multitude of ways the seeds are scatteied 



One agency is the wind, which wafts seeds that are provided with wings 

 to their destination. Another is water in which they are floated to a con- 

 genial spot. Another is by application of local force, by elasticity by means 

 of which a seed is forcibly ejected. Another is agitation, as the wind shak- 

 ing them out, or & person hitting the stem and jarring them out. The last 

 means is that by which various animals and persons carry the seeds about. 



In the case of the mahogany tree both wind and expulsion are used to 

 disperse the seeds. Each seed is winged, and when the capsule explodes, 

 the seeds float off on the breeze till they find a resting place. The capsules 

 explode with such violence as to break entirely up, and it is difficult to find 

 a perfect one. 



The balsams, which, a few years ago, were such great garden favorites 

 in country districts, were very sensitive and would throw out the seeds if 

 touched. From this habit they got the name of touch-me-not. 



A remarkable instance of violent dehiscence is to be seen in one of the cu- 

 cumber family named, from its habits, the squirting cucumber. It has a small 

 oval fruit about one and a half inches long and is covered "with spines. 

 When ripe, it detatches itself from the plant and jerks out its juice in which 

 the seeds are mixed, through a little hole in the base. It was formerly used 

 as a medicine, but since given up is. rarely cultivated. 



To descend a little lower in plant life, let me speak of the bird's nest 

 fungus. We have noticed that the grass around a spot in which a number 

 of cups of bird's nest fungus were growing sprinkled to the height of six or 

 eight inches with the ejected sporangie. Passing to the dispersion by the 

 wind we find that the members of the composite family have a coronet of pap- 

 pus placed on top of each seed. This is composed of little hairs that are as 



