Content is from Kirkbride et al. 2006Kirkbride et al. 2006:
Kirkbride JH, Jr, Gunn CR, and Dallwitz MJ. 2006. Family guide for fruits and seeds, vers. 1.0. Accessed September 2020-January 2022. URL: https://nt.ars-grin.gov/seedsfruits/keys/frsdfam/index.cfm ., without modification.
Updates are forthcoming.
Fruits: Pistil(s) compound; 1; 1-pistillate; with carpels united. Fruit pericarpium; simple; drupedrupe:
(indehiscent drupe) a fleshy, indehiscent fruit with one more hard pits enclosing seeds, derived from single, superior, simple or compound ovary; (dehiscent drupe) a fruit with a dry or fibrous to fleshy or leathery outer husk that early to tardily breaks apart (or opens), exposing one or more nutlike pits enclosing the seeds
(Canarium), or nuculanium (Nuculanium of Spjut: "exocarpexocarp:
outer layer of fruit wall or pericarp, if divided into layers; note here used synonymously with epicarp
thin, mesocarpmesocarp:
the middle layer of the pericarp, if divided into layers
fleshy, exocarpexocarp:
outer layer of fruit wall or pericarp, if divided into layers; note here used synonymously with epicarp & mesocarpmesocarp:
the middle layer of the pericarp, if divided into layers splitting in ripe fruit into longitudinally valves, endocarpendocarp:
the inner layer of the pericarp, if divided into layers
forming crustaceouscrustaceous:
texture—thin, dry, indurate, and brittle
or bonybony:
very hard and rather brittle, like bone
putamen, usu. clasped by a pseudo arilaril:
(broad sense) appendicular structure that wholly or partly envelops a seed and is produced from or a modification of the funicle, raphe, or outer integument; usually fleshy or pulpy, sometimes spongy or tufted-capillate, often brightly colored
": Drupedrupe:
(indehiscent drupe) a fleshy, indehiscent fruit with one more hard pits enclosing seeds, derived from single, superior, simple or compound ovary; (dehiscent drupe) a fruit with a dry or fibrous to fleshy or leathery outer husk that early to tardily breaks apart (or opens), exposing one or more nutlike pits enclosing the seeds of Spjut: pericarppericarp:
fruit wall or fruit coat
fleshy, endocarpendocarp:
the inner layer of the pericarp, if divided into layers crustaceouscrustaceous:
texture—thin, dry, indurate, and brittle
. Spjut did not cover genus Beiselia which creates a fruit problem in this family. Herewith is the fruit description of Beiselia: thin pericarppericarp:
fruit wall or fruit coat
splitting usually from base into 10(-12) narrow recurved strips and thus exposing large broad columellacolumella:
any pedestal-like prolongation of a floral receptacle extending beyond the distalmost level of perianth insertion and bearing the gynoecium; the stalk supporting a mericarp after dehiscence of a schizocarpic fruit, the central axis of the fruit having split longitudinally to yield two or four such stalks; composed of receptacular and (primarily) gynoecial tissues, especially in Apiaceae. See carpophore.
which fills fruit with 10(-12) radiating thin vertical walls; pyrenespyrene:
the hard inner portion of a drupe, consisting of a bony endocarp and an enclosed seed
resembling flattened winged seeds, solitary and lying radially in each sinus of columellacolumella:
any pedestal-like prolongation of a floral receptacle extending beyond the distalmost level of perianth insertion and bearing the gynoecium; the stalk supporting a mericarp after dehiscence of a schizocarpic fruit, the central axis of the fruit having split longitudinally to yield two or four such stalks; composed of receptacular and (primarily) gynoecial tissues, especially in Apiaceae. See carpophore.
, pendulous with membranousmembranous:
texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough
apicalapical:
at or pertaining to the end of the seed or fruit distal from its point of attachment (i.e., base)
wing); with persistent central column; solid central column shaft; valves diverging from top of central column (resembling umbrella ribs); not within accessory organ(s); more than 1 but less than 10-seeded; 1–5-seeded; with 1–5-carpellate; with carpels united; with carpels remaining united at maturity; without sterilesterile:
lacking male and/or female reproductive parts; also, not producing fruit or seed
carpels; apexapex:
the point farthest from the point of attachment, or the "tip" of an organ
not beaked; wall leatheryleathery:
texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable
to woodywoody:
texture—consisting mainly of indurate lignified tissues, characteristic of or resembling wood
; dehiscentdehiscent:
(v. dehisce) splitting open at maturity to release contents (of a fruit)
, or indehiscentindehiscent:
not opening on its own, as in a fruit
. Dehiscentdehiscent:
(v. dehisce) splitting open at maturity to release contents (of a fruit) unit endocarp(s). Dehiscentdehiscent:
(v. dehisce) splitting open at maturity to release contents (of a fruit) regularly; passively; at base; without replumreplum:
the rim, formed by the persistent placentas, and connected by a false septum in Brassicaceae fruits. The fruit valves are attached to this rim and separate from it in dehiscent fruits.
. Epicarpepicarp:
outer layer of fruit wall or pericarp, if divided into layers; note here used synonymously with exocarp
red; durable; thin; without armature; without wing(s), or with wing(s); 2-winged, or 1-winged (Beiselia); without apicalapical:
at or pertaining to the end of the seed or fruit distal from its point of attachment (i.e., base)
respiratory hole. Mesocarpmesocarp:
the middle layer of the pericarp, if divided into layers present; fleshy; composed of 1 unified layer; without lactiform cavity system. Endocarpendocarp:
the inner layer of the pericarp, if divided into layers present; separating spontaneously from exocarpexocarp:
outer layer of fruit wall or pericarp, if divided into layers; note here used synonymously with epicarp; woodywoody:
texture—consisting mainly of indurate lignified tissues, characteristic of or resembling wood
, or bonybony:
very hard and rather brittle, like bone
, or thin, or crustaceouscrustaceous:
texture—thin, dry, indurate, and brittle
; splitting into 1-seeded pyrenes; stone unilocular, or plurilocular; stone 1–5-loculate; smooth, or not smooth; with white arilloid mesocarpmesocarp:
the middle layer of the pericarp, if divided into layers tissue; without wing, or with wing (Beiselia with 1 terminal wing); without operculumoperculum:
a dehiscent cap (or lid) of a seed or fruit that opens during germination or dehiscence
; without secretory cavities; without mechanism for seedling escape; without grooves; without longitudinallongitudinal:
of or relating to length or the lengthwise dimension
ridges. Funiculusfuniculus:
(alt. funicle) stalk connecting the ovule (later seed) to the ovary (later fruit) placenta
short; short without seed bearing hookswith hooks:
bristles or spines with curved or backwards pointing tips, or with secondary bristles along their length
(retinacula); not persisting in fruit after seed shed.
Seeds: Arilaril:
(broad sense) appendicular structure that wholly or partly envelops a seed and is produced from or a modification of the funicle, raphe, or outer integument; usually fleshy or pulpy, sometimes spongy or tufted-capillate, often brightly colored absent. Seed larger than minute; not bowl shaped; not nutlike; without winglike beakbeak:
a usually firm, terminal appendage, sometimes tapered
; without caudatecaudate:
tapering to a long, tail-like appendage
appendage(s); at maturity with food reserves; with endosperm, or perispermperisperm:
seed nutritive tissue comparable to the endosperm, but derived from the nucellus (maternal tissue)
; without canavanine. Sarcotestasarcotesta:
pulpy or fleshy outer layer of the seed coat, simulates aril
absent. Testatesta:
seed coat
present; without fleshy or leatheryleathery:
texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable
layer over hard layer; surface smooth, or unsmooth; surface with merged raised features; surface reticulatereticulate:
surface relief—netted, raised walls or concave grooves forming a net-like surface pattern with flat, concave, or convex interspaces
, or wrinkledwrinkled:
surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out
; without crease or line separating cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle; without notch along margin where cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle tip approach each other; without glands; without bristles; without wings; without collar; without operculumoperculum:
a dehiscent cap (or lid) of a seed or fruit that opens during germination or dehiscence; colored; monochrome; not becoming mucilaginousmucilaginous:
resembling mucilage; moist and sticky
when wetted; surrounding food reserve. Endosperm development nuclear; scant, or trace; with oils; without fatty acid containing cyclopropene; without apicalapical:
at or pertaining to the end of the seed or fruit distal from its point of attachment (i.e., base)
lobes; without chlorophyll; without isodiametric faceted surface; without odor. Perispermperisperm:
seed nutritive tissue comparable to the endosperm, but derived from the nucellus (maternal tissue)
opaqueopaque:
not transmitting light
. Embryo differentiated from food reserve; well developed; 1 per seed; partially filling testatesta:
seed coat
(with food reserve); at one end of seed not extending into a depression or cup; axileaxile:
on or of the axis
and centric; foliatefoliate:
appearing leaf-like
; with spatulatespatulate:
2D shape—like a spatula; rounded at the apex, with base long and tapered; (of embryo) embryo is straight and axile and centric with the cotyledons expanded to form the shape of a spatula or spoon; (of cotyledons) cotyledons expanded and wider than the stalk but not invested into the stalk
cotyledons, or investinginvesting:
(of embryo) embryo is nearly or completely filling seed coat, straight, and axile and centric with spatulate cotyledons and covering the stalk for at least half its length; (of cotyledons) cotyledons spatulate and covering the stalk for at least half its length
cotyledons (sometimes invested); bentbent:
(of embryo) embryo is bent at an acute, V-shaped angle with the ends close together and generally thick cotyledons
, or straight (rarely); without coleorhiza; without simmondsin; with cotyledons containing oils; without stomata; not green; with 2 or more cotyledons. Cotyledons 2; well developed; 0.7–0.9 times length of embryo; somewhat to significantly wider than hypocotyl-radicle; 12–15 times wider than hypocotyl-radicle; not concealing hypocotyl-radicle, or partially concealing hypocotyl-radicle; accumbent to hypocotyl-radicle; thin, or thick; once-folded, or convoluted, or flat (rarely flat); smooth; with apicesapex:
the point farthest from the point of attachment, or the "tip" of an organ entire, or cleft (Beiselia), or lobed (Beiselia), or palmately lobed; basally entire; equal in size; not punctatepunctate:
surface relief—dotted with pits or with translucent, sunken glands or with colored dots, similar to pitted
dotted. Hypocotyl-radicle moderately developed; not thickened.
Goldberg: Fruit drupedrupe:
(indehiscent drupe) a fleshy, indehiscent fruit with one more hard pits enclosing seeds, derived from single, superior, simple or compound ovary; (dehiscent drupe) a fruit with a dry or fibrous to fleshy or leathery outer husk that early to tardily breaks apart (or opens), exposing one or more nutlike pits enclosing the seeds, berryberry:
an indehiscent, fleshy fruit with one or a few to many seeds. The flesh may be homogenous throughout. Or, if the outer part is hard, firm, or leathery, referred to as an hesperidium. Septa are present in some, and the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa.
, occ. tardily dehiscentdehiscent:
(v. dehisce) splitting open at maturity to release contents (of a fruit) capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
. Mabberley: Protieae: drupedrupe:
(indehiscent drupe) a fleshy, indehiscent fruit with one more hard pits enclosing seeds, derived from single, superior, simple or compound ovary; (dehiscent drupe) a fruit with a dry or fibrous to fleshy or leathery outer husk that early to tardily breaks apart (or opens), exposing one or more nutlike pits enclosing the seeds with 2–5 free or adhering but not fused parts; Bursereae: drupedrupe:
(indehiscent drupe) a fleshy, indehiscent fruit with one more hard pits enclosing seeds, derived from single, superior, simple or compound ovary; (dehiscent drupe) a fruit with a dry or fibrous to fleshy or leathery outer husk that early to tardily breaks apart (or opens), exposing one or more nutlike pits enclosing the seeds with endocarps completely fused; Canarieae: drupedrupe:
(indehiscent drupe) a fleshy, indehiscent fruit with one more hard pits enclosing seeds, derived from single, superior, simple or compound ovary; (dehiscent drupe) a fruit with a dry or fibrous to fleshy or leathery outer husk that early to tardily breaks apart (or opens), exposing one or more nutlike pits enclosing the seeds with 1–5, 1-seeded stones or 1 stone with all seeds; rarely capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary.
Literature specific to this family: Forman, L.L., P.E. Brandham, M.M. Harley, & T.J. Lawrence. 1989. Beiselia mexicana (Burseraceae) and its affinities. Kew Bull. 44:1–31.
General references: Corner, E.J.H. 1976. The seeds of Dicots, esp. vol. 2. Cambridge University Press, New York, Cronquist, A. 1981. An integrated system of classification of flowering plants, 1,262 p. Columbia University Press, New York, Engler, A. 1900–1953. Das Pflanzenreich, nos. 1–107. Facsimile edition. Engelmann-Cramer, Weinheim, Engler, A. & K. Prantl. 1924 and onward. Die Natürlichen Pflanzenfamilimien. W. Engelman, Leipzig, Gaertner, J. 1788–1805. De fructibus et seminibus plantarum. The Author, Stuttgart, Goldberg, A. 1986 (dicots) & 1989 (monocots). Classification, evolution, and phylogeny of the familes of Dicotyledons. Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 58 for dicots (314 pp.) & 71 for monocots (74 pp.). [Goldberg's illustrations are reproduced from older publications and these should be consulted], Gunn, C.R., J.H. Wiersema, C.A. Ritchie, & J.H. Kirkbride, Jr. 1992 & amendments. Families and genera of Spermatophytes recognized by the Agricultural Research Service. Techn. Bull. U.S.D.A. 1796:1–500, Hooker, J.D. 1873 and forward. Icones Plantarum. William & Norgate, London. (plate number cited in text within [ ]), Mabberley, D.J. 1987. The plant-book, 706 p. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, and Spjut, R.W. 1994. A systematic treatment of fruit types. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 70:1–182.
Authors: M. Islam, A. Gottlieb, M. Maher, J. Scher, A. Redford
Content last updated August 2024
idtools.org
