Silique

In Botanical, the silic is a dry Fruit déhiscent, more precisely a capsule with déhiscence paraplacentaire.

This fruit derives from a unilocular ovary, formed by the meeting of two Carpelle S. the Graine S are fixed on two Placenta S parietal. During the maturation of the fruit, a false partition connecting the two placentas (called septum ) is formed and separated two cabins. At the time of the Déhiscence, the external walls raise bottom to the top, forming two sterile valves and discovering the septum and the seeds which of it are interdependent.

It is the fruit characteristic of the plants of the family of the Crucifère S (Brassicacée S), such as cabbage, Radis, Bourse-à-pasteur, Moutarde, Colza… and which one also finds in other close families: Papavéracée S (Chelidonium), Fumariacée S (Bleeding heart), etc

The siliques ones generally have a lengthened form. When they are short, as broad as long, they are called silicles (it is the case in particular of the Lunaire or the maritime Alysson). Some are however indéhiscentes, round and a little fleshy: it is the case of unquestionable Brassicacées of the littoral such as the cochléaires and the maritime crambe.

Measure ancient

In Rome:

a silic (siliqua) = 1/6 of scruple (scripulum/scupulum) = 1/24 of solidus = 1/12 ² of ounce (uncia) = 1/12 ³ of book (will libra)

The book corresponded to a mass from 322 to 328 grams according to the authors. thus silique corresponds to 0,185 to 0,19 grams This book was equivalent to 6 912 grains of Orge pruned what means that the silique one was a mass corresponding to 4 barley grains.

This system was taken again by the Byzantine then not Arabic when the Caliph omeyyade `Abd Al-Malik creates the first Arab monetary system in 696

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