Biology Today - February 2018

SIMPLE FRUITS

Simple fruits can be simple dry fruits, which possess thin, hard and dry pericarp or succulent fruits in which pericarp is fleshy,
edible and differentiated into epicarp, mesocarp and endocarp.

Simple Dry Fruits

(i) Capsular or dehiscent fruits : These fruits are many seeded where pericarp splits open at maturity to expose seeds.

Legume or Pod

This fruit develops from a

superior, monocarpellary,

unilocular ovary with

marginal placentation and

it dehisces by both ventral

and dorsal sutures. It is

the characteristic of Family

Fabaceae, HJ, 3LVXP

Legume of pea VDWLYXP, 'ROLFKRVODEODE etc.

Siliqua

The fruit develops from bicarpellary, syncarpous,

superior ovary having parietal placentation. The

ovary is unilocular but later becomes bilocular

due to development of a false septum, called

replum. It dehisces from the base towards the

apex by both the sutures. It is characteristic of

Family Brassicaceae, H.J., %UDVVLFD.

Follicle Types

It is similar to legume

in all characters

except that it dehisces

from one suture only,

H.J., 'HOSKLQLXP,

&DORWURSLV.

Follicle of milkweed

Capsule

This fruit develop from multicarpellary syncarpous,

superior or inferior ovary. Capsule are multilocular

and many seeded fruits and dehisce by various

ways. Depending upon the mode of dehiscence,

capsules may be loculicidal, septicidal, septifragal,

denticidal, pyxidium or porocidal.

Silicula

It is a few seeded shortened and

flattened siliqua, HJcandytuft

(,EHULV), Shepherd’s purse

(&DSVHOOD). Silicula ,EHULV

Capsule of 'DWXUD

Siliqua of mustard

(ii) Achenial or indehiscent fruits : These fruits develop from single ovuled ovary having basal placentation and so are single
seeded. These fruits do not burst at maturity but only the decaying of pericarp liberates the seeds.

Types Achene

A small fruit which develops from

a monocarpellary superior ovary.

Pericarp is hard and remains free

from seed coat except at one

point. (.J., 0LUDELOLV, &OHPDWLV.

Cypsela

The fruit is produced from bicarpellary,

syncarpous, inferior ovary. Persistent

hairy calyx (pappus) are attached with

the fruit. Pericarp is free from seed

coat. (J6RQFKXV7DJHWHV.

Nut

It is dry fruit which develops from a

superior, bi or multicarpellary ovary

having a hard and woody pericarp,

rarely leathery, HJlitchi, cashewnut,

etc.

Samara

A dry fruit which develops from

bicarpellary, syncarpous ovary. Pericarp

bears membranous outgrowths called

wings for wind dispersal, H.J., +RORSWHOHD

8OPXV, etc.

Caryopsis or Grain

Pericarp and seed coat are

inseparably fused with each

other, HJ, members of Family

Poaceae (= Gramineae).

Cypsela of 6RQFKXV

Samara of +RORSWHOHD

Nut of litchi

Achene of 0LUDELOLV(L.S)

Single grain (caryopsis)

of maize

(iii) Schizocarpic or splitting fruits : These are many seeded, dry and simple fruits that break up into single seeded parts. The
indehiscent single seeded parts are called mericarps while the dehiscent ones are termed as cocci (singular coccus).