FRUITS

Fruit Terms:
Dehiscent - fruit is released at maturity by opening at lines/valves/slits along the outside of the fruit
Indehiscent - fruit that does not open at a distinctive line/valve/slit or any other opening
Ovate - egg shaped with base of fruit being the broadest part
Sporangium - a structure that bears a spore
Spore - any gametic (reproductive) cell that is formed via meiosis
Sporophyll - a leaf that bears sporangium, sporophylls often form a structure such as a cone
Tubercle - swelling or thickened portion of an organ
 

Fruit Types:
Achene - dry, indehiscent fruit with seed that is attached to the fruit wall such as the pistachio
Bur -Any fruit that is covered with barbs, spines or appendages
Capsule - a general term for a a dry dehiscent fruit
Cone - sporophylls located on an axis in a dense, conical shape
Follicle - a dry, dehiscent fruit opening on one side when ripe, like a milkweed pod
Drupe - indehiscent, fleshy fruit with a hard, stony seed inside.  Example: cherry, apricot
Druplet - smaller, minor drupe
Nut - an indehiscent fruit characteristically hard and dry
Nutlet -smaller, minor nut
Pepo - a fleshy fruit that has many seeds and tough, thick rind (such as a watermelon or cucumber)
Pod/Legume - fruits resembling a legume, fruit is dehiscent (see above), dry and contains several seeds
Samara - fruit that is "winged", dry, and indehiscent
Utricle - tiny, thin-walled fruit that has a single seed and a papery covering over the outside that makes fruit appears inflated like a balloon or bladder
 
 

Habitat Descriptions/List    Plant Lists    Plant Glossary Announcements
Grasses/Sedges/Rushes   Algal Glossary       Algal Lists

Back to Home Page