Dry Fruits

Dry Fruits

Categories of Dry Fruits

• Dehiscent Dry Fruits:

  • Fruits that open upon maturity, allowing seeds to escape.

  • Example: legumes, which split along both seams when dried.

  • Types of dehiscent capsules:

    • Loculicidal Capsule: Split into three sections.

    • Septicidal Capsule: Splits down the center.

    • Circumscissile Capsule: Splits horizontally around the pod.

• Indehiscent Dry Fruits:

  • Fruits that do not open at maturity; require external force to release seeds.

Types of Dehiscent Fruits

• Legume:

  • Pod that splits along seams, usually has multiple seeds.

  • Structure:

  • Superior ovary from a single carpal.

  • Example: peas, beans.

  • Distinction: splits along both sides.

• Follicle:

  • Comes from a single carpel, typically a superior ovary.

  • Split along one side, pod-shaped.

  • Example: some legumes.

Types of Indehiscent Fruits

• Achene:

  • Derived from a superior ovary, often with a single seed that isn't attached to the fruit wall.

  • Example: Strawberry seeds are achenes; connected to a wing structure in some plants is known as samara.

• Caryopsis:

  • Found in grains (e.g., wheat, barley, corn).

  • Seed is fused to the pericarp, making it indehiscent.

  • Can have barbs for attachment or wind dispersal mechanisms.

• Cypsela:

  • Syncarpous, usually has a parachute-like structure called pappus for wind dispersal.

  • Typically associated with plants like dandelions.

  • Features:

  • Contains a seed (inside), a beak (the stick), and a receptacle base.

• Nut:

  • A true nut is hard, dry, contains one seed, and has a syncarpous superior ovary.

  • Examples include acorns and hazelnuts.

• Schizocarp:

  • Syncarpous ovary with two carpals; splits into two parts at the center.

  • The term ‘schizo’ implies splitting.

  • Often features stripy segments indicating where splitting occurs.