Mucilage ducts (= mucilaginous ducts)

• Title

  Mucilage ducts (= mucilaginous ducts)

• Definition

  Longitudinally oriented ducts that penetrate the ovary and sepals of some species of . These ducts produce a mucilage that is hypothesized as a way to protect the fruits from predation, i.e., insects and other animals get their mouth parts gummed up if they try to penetrate the fruit wall.

• Notes

  Note that calyx-lobes of neotropical Lecythidaceae are also called sepals. We prefer calyx-lobes because they do not represent the entire sepal as part of the sepal is fused to the ovary wall to make up part of the inferior ovary.

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