Glossary Details – Lecythidaceae

Glossary Details:

Title: Fruit terminology. Drawing by B. Angell.

Description: Fruit terminology used in the description of dehiscent-fruited species of Lecythidaceae. The dehiscence of a fruit of this type is circumscissile. Note that the supracalycine zone tapers to the opercular rim and that the infracalycine zone is tapered to the pedicel scar.

Term:

Opercular opening

Definition:

The opening of a dehiscent-fruited species of Lecythidaceae.

Notes:

Dehiscent fruits are only found in the New World tropics and even then some of the fruits of predominantly dehiscent genera have become secondarily indehiscent.