Fig. 402.—Camelina sativa. Fruit.
Fig. 403.—Subularia aquatica. Longitudinal section through the flower.
◯=: Thlaspi (Penny-Cress) has a flat, almost circular silicula, emarginate or cordate, with a well-developed wing round the edge (Fig. [406]). Iberis and Teesdalia: the racemes during flowering are especially corymbose, and the most external petals of the outer flowers project radially and are much larger than the other two (the flower is zygomorphic).—Biscutella, Megacarpæa.
◯‖: Capsella (Shepherd’s-Purse) has a wingless, obcordate or triangular silicula (Fig. [407]). Lepidium (Pepperwort) has a few–(2–4) seeded, slightly winged, oval silicula. Senebiera has a silicula splitting longitudinally into two nut-like portions; its cotyledons are folded.—Anastatica hierochuntica (“Rose of Jericho”) is an annual, silicula-fruited, desert plant (Arabia, Syria, N. Africa). After the flowering all its then leafless branches bend together upwards, forming a kind of ball; this spreads out again on coming in contact with water, and the fruits then disseminate their seeds, which germinate very quickly, often in the fruit.
3. Siliqua (Siliquosæ). The fruit is a true siliqua, several times longer than broad. The seeds in most are borne apparently in one row.
Fig. 404.—Transverse section of a silicula with broad replum: s replum; k the valves.
