Term:
Aril
Aril
Definition:
A fleshy outgrowth from the base of the funicle.
A fleshy outgrowth from the base of the funicle.
Notes:
The arils of neotropical Lecythidaceae are of five types: basal, lateral-basal, lateral, half I-beam, and spreading. In species of Allantoma and Cariniana, we hypothesize that the fleshy aril of their ancestors was flattened to form a unilateral wing. In species of Allantoma dispersed by the water, the wings are vestigial because they provide no particular advantage for water dispersal, that function is taken over by a corky seed coat.
The arils of neotropical Lecythidaceae are of five types: basal, lateral-basal, lateral, half I-beam, and spreading. In species of Allantoma and Cariniana, we hypothesize that the fleshy aril of their ancestors was flattened to form a unilateral wing. In species of Allantoma dispersed by the water, the wings are vestigial because they provide no particular advantage for water dispersal, that function is taken over by a corky seed coat.