Glossary Details – Lecythidaceae

Glossary Details:

Title: Figs or syconia of Ficus citrifolia. Photo by C. Gracie.

Description: Figs or syconia of Citrus citrifolia based on Mori et al. 26779a from Saba, Netherlands Antilles. The dark spot at the apex is the ostiole. The fruits of figs are also an example of pseudocarps because what looks like the fruit is actually a hollow branch end surrounding achenes, which are the real fruits.

Term:

Pseudocarp

Definition:

Several small "fruits" surrounded by accompanying parts, such as that of Siparuna (Siparunaceae), in which the separate carpels are surrounded by a fleshy hypanthium, or the syconia of figs in which the the achenes are surrounded by hollow stem ends.