HOW FRUITS ARE MADE. 



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" basilar." Such occurs in the achene-like fruit of Docks and in all 

 Composites. 



In all cases of Angiosperms at least, ovules appear to arise really 

 from the edges of a carpellary leaf, and not from the floral receptacle or 

 axis, as has been sometimes thought to be the case. There are many 

 kinds of compound fruits, which may be grouped as dry or fleshy. Some 

 are dehiscent, others are indehiscent. 



The general term for a dry dehiscent fruit is " capsule," but there 

 are several kinds which have received special names. Only the most 

 important will be here mentioned. 



In the Wallflower and most other Crucifers it is a loug pod-like 

 structure composed of two "open" carpels. It is called a " siliqua." 

 Very small ones are called by the name "silicula," as of the Shepherd's 

 Purse. They burst by two "valves" splitting off from below upwards, 

 leaving a framework constructed out of the two opposite placentas. These 

 are connected by an intermediate plate, formed by outgrowths from the 

 placentas, which have united down the middle. It is called the " false 

 dissepiment," because it is not formed by the sides of coherent " closed " 

 carpels, as of a Lily. 



In the Poppy "head" the several "open" carpels are united in a 

 similar way, and have similar false dissepiments, but they do not meet in 

 the middle as in the siliqua. These dissepiments carry the ovules, and 

 their use is to convey the pollen tubes down to them, from the radiating 

 stigmas in the Poppy, which may be seen outside on the top. 



The Cocoanut is another interesting fruit. In the flower the pistil has 

 a three-celled ovary, like that of a Tulip ; each cell should have two ovules 

 at least, but only one gets fertilised out of the six. As this one grows 

 the other chambers of the ovary get pushed aside (the same occurs in an 

 Acorn), and the carpels now take on two distinct parts ; the outer part 

 becomes fibrous and forms the enormous husk, the inuerpart becomes the 

 shell. The one seed is the edible content, but the embryo is not inside. 

 To find it, the one penetrable " eye " must be cut out like a plug and split 

 down the middle, wherein the embryo will be discovered. The two 

 " blind eyes " correspond to the two suppressed and abortive ovary-cells. 



In the Henbane (Hyoscyamus), Poor Man's Weatherglass (Anagallis), 

 and Plantain, as well as the Red Clover, the top of the fruit comes off by 

 a circular dehiscence. The name given to this is a " pyxis " or " box." 



In the Geranium the five carpels meet and are united in the middle, 

 the styles being greatly elongated. In dehiscing each separates from a 

 central support, composed of the coherent and elongated marginal 

 placentas of the carpellary leaves. 



In Balsams, closely allied to Geraniums, they acquire a high state of 

 tension when ripe, so that the slightest touch causes the five carpels to 

 separate and coil up, thereby throwing the seeds to a great distance. The 

 siliquas of the Bitter-cress (Cardamine hirsuta), of the Crucifer family, 

 behave in a similar way. 



Of indehiscent, dry, compound fruits, there are the winged kinds, 

 • known as the " samara," and seen in Maple, Sycamore, Elm, and Birch, 

 the wings being outgrowths from the backs of the carpels. 



Achene-like fruits occur, as in grains of Corn (of two carpels), fruits of 



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