capsule

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In botany, a dry, usually many-seeded fruit formed from an ovary composed of two or more fused carpels, which splits open to release the seeds. The same term is used for the spore-containing structure of mosses and liverworts; this is borne at the top of a long stalk or seta.

Capsules burst open (dehisce) in various ways, including lengthwise, by a transverse lid – for example, scarlet pimpernel Anagallis arvensis – or by a number of pores, either towards the top of the capsule, as in the poppy Papaver, or near the base, as in certain species of bellflower Campanula.

The flag is known as the ‘Lone Star’ banner. The red triangle symbolizes the blood shed in the fight for freedom from Spain. The blue stripes stand for Cuba's three provinces. Effective date: 20 May 1902. >>