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A TEXT-BOOK OF BOTANY 



ages are produced, as wings, tufts of hairs, etc., which assist 

 in seed dispersal, a subject which will be considered later. 

 143. Fruit. Accompanying the changes in ovules in- 

 volved in the formation of seeds, there are other changes 

 in the surrounding parts resulting in the formation of a 

 fruit. These changes may involve only the ovary wall, or 

 they may include also other adjacent structures; but the 

 whole resulting structure, whatever it may include, is called 

 a fruit. The fruits of Angiosperms are so exceedingly 

 diverse that it will be possible to give only a very general 

 outline of the various kinds. 



For convenience, those fruits will be considered first 

 that represent only the enlarged and modified ovary. 

 Such fruits may be placed in two groups: those that ripen 

 dry and those that ripen fleshy. 



(1) DRY FRUITS. In these the ovary wall not only 

 changes, but also usually becomes hard or parchment-like. 

 Dry fruits may open to discharge their 

 seeds, but often when there is only one 

 seed in an ovary the fruit does not open. 

 Thus there are two 

 groups of dry fruits: 

 the dehiscent (open- 

 ing) and the indehis- 

 cent (unopening). 



a. Dehiscent fruits. 

 Dry fruits that open 

 are in general called 

 pods, and usually they 

 open by splitting, as 

 the pods of peas and 

 beans. The great fam- 

 ily to which peas and 



FIG. 229. Pod of sweet beans belong is named FIG. 230. Capsule of 

 pea dehiscing. Af- . iris dehiscing. After 



terGKAY. for its pod, being GHAT. 



