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.
and mesocarpmesocarp:
absent and endocarpendocarp:
exposed.
Fruits: Pistil(s) compound, or simple; 1 to more than 21; 1–100-pistillate; with carpels nearly separate to base, or carpels united. Fruit anthocarpanthocarp:
simple or compound and including some tissue of non-ovarian origin (accessory tissue)
, or 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
; schizocarpschizocarp:
usually dry fruit splitting between two or more locules to form distinct, indehiscent, usually one seeded segments; fruit derived from a single, superior or inferior, compound ovary; compare to mericarp
, or multiplemultiple:
fruit formed from several flowers clustered in one mass
; pomarium (Spjut 3 families: Lauraceae, Monimiaceae, Nelumbonaceae); Glossocalyx Spjut 4 families: Calycanthaceae, Eupomataceae, Monimiaceae, Rosacae pometum, or trymetum (Spjut Fig. 52F-G: only family and hypanthium splits); without persistent central column; with styles(s); at apexapex:
the point farthest from the point of attachment, or the "tip" of an organ
; within accessory organ(s); within hypanthium and perianthperianth:
collective term for calyx and corolla of a flower
(embedded or atop hypanthium & occasionally with perianthperianth:
collective term for calyx and corolla of a flower
), or receptacle; accrescentaccrescent:
growing continuously
; persistent; with hypanthium nutsnut:
a fairly large, indehiscent, dry fruit with a thick and bony wall surrounding a single seed, derived from a single, simple or compound ovary
, or drupes; with hypanthium wall distinct from fruit wall; with receptacle (torus) fleshy; 1-seeded to many-seeded; Xymalos 1-seeded (to many); less than 1 cm long (-?); 0.6 cm long (-?); with 1-carpellate (to many); with carpels separate; with carpels not radiating at maturity; without sterilesterile:
lacking male and/or female reproductive parts; also, not producing fruit or seed
carpels; not sulcatesulcate:
surface relief—having one or more elongate, relatively narrow and shallow depressions or grooves
; apexapex:
the point farthest from the point of attachment, or the "tip" of an organ not beaked; indehiscentindehiscent:
not opening on its own, as in a fruit
. Epicarpepicarp:
outer layer of fruit wall or pericarp, if divided into layers; note here used synonymously with exocarp black; durable; glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
; without armature; smooth; without wing(s); 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, or absent; fleshy; composed of 1 unified layer; without lactiform cavity system; & endocarpendocarp:
the inner layer of the pericarp, if divided into layers sharply differentiated, or not sharply differentiated. Endocarpendocarp:
the inner layer of the pericarp, if divided into layers present; not separating from exocarpexocarp:
outer layer of fruit wall or pericarp, if divided into layers; note here used synonymously with epicarp
; thin, or hard, or thick, or woodywoody:
texture—consisting mainly of indurate lignified tissues, characteristic of or resembling wood
; not splitting into 1-seeded pyrenes; stone unilocular; stone 1-loculate; smooth, or not smooth; with tubercules; without 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, or present (Siparuna); a true 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, or an arillike structure (depending on author); pink to red; well developed; fleshy; lobed. Arillike structure falling with seed a carpellary 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. Seed larger than minute; 5 to less than 10 mm long to 10 to less than 25 mm long; 3–12 mm long; 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; without canavanine. Sarcotestasarcotesta:
pulpy or fleshy outer layer of the seed coat, simulates aril
present, or absent; fleshy (Siparuna). Testatesta:
seed coat
present; without markedly different marginalmarginal:
at, on, or close to the margin or border
tissue; with fleshy or leatheryleathery:
texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable
layer over hard layer, or without fleshy or leatheryleathery:
texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable
layer over hard layer; tight; 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; glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
; without wings; without collar; without operculumoperculum:
a dehiscent cap (or lid) of a seed or fruit that opens during germination or dehiscence; colored; monochrome; brown (all shades) (assumed); membranousmembranous:
texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough
, or thin; not becoming mucilaginousmucilaginous:
resembling mucilage; moist and sticky
when wetted; surrounding food reserve. Endosperm development cellular; copious; opaqueopaque:
not transmitting light
(white); smooth; 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. Embryo differentiated from food reserve; well developed; 1 per seed; partially filling testatesta:
seed coat
(with food reserve); 0.2–0.5 times the length of food reserve; at one end of seed not extending into a depression or cup; axileaxile:
on or of the axis
and centric; linearlinear:
(shape) long, narrow, and uniform in width; (of embryo) embryo is straight and much longer than wide
, or 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 (assumed); straight; parallel to seed length; embedded in endosperm; with cotyledons gradually connected to hypocotyl-radicle; without coleorhiza; without simmondsin; without stomata; not green; with 2 or more cotyledons. Cotyledons 2; moderately developed to well developed; divaricate, or not divaricate; 0.3–0.75 times length of embryo; as wide as hypocotyl-radicle to somewhat to significantly wider than hypocotyl-radicle; 1–4 times wider than hypocotyl-radicle; not concealing hypocotyl-radicle; thin; flat; smooth; with apicesapex:
the point farthest from the point of attachment, or the "tip" of an organ entire; with margins separate; 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 to well developed; straight; not thickened.
Philipson (1987) Subfam. 1. Hortonioideae - 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; endocarpendocarp:
the inner layer of the pericarp, if divided into layers lignified; pseudofruit little changed at maturity. Subfam. 2. Atherospermatoideae - Fruit dry nutletlet. plumoseplumose:
(of a hair or bristle) feather-like
, pseudofruit cylindricalcylindrical:
3D shape—a cylinder, with parallel sides and a circular cross-section; tubular or rod-shaped
, urceolateurceolate:
3D shape—urn-shaped, hollow and contracted near the apex
or pyriform, woodywoody:
texture—consisting mainly of indurate lignified tissues, characteristic of or resembling wood
usually splitting or indehiscentindehiscent:
not opening on its own, as in a fruit
. Sufam. 3. Separunoideae - 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 occasionally with stylar 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, pseudofruit splitting open at maturity. Subfam. 4. Glassacalycoideae - 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, psuedofruit more or less fleshy enclosing 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, perianthperianth:
collective term for calyx and corolla of a flower
persistent. Subfam. 5. Mollinedioideae - 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, pseudofruit with a woodywoody:
texture—consisting mainly of indurate lignified tissues, characteristic of or resembling wood
, fleshy or leatheryleathery:
texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable
recepacle often enlarged or recurved, often with upper part abscissed. Sufam. 6. Monimioideae - 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 stony endocarpendocarp:
the inner layer of the pericarp, if divided into layers, stylar 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 (Monimia), pseudofruit globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
, splitting open when mature, or in Peumus receptacle little enlarged and 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 exposed. (End of Philipson.) Seed free in 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 and adnate to fruit in nutnut:
a fairly large, indehiscent, dry fruit with a thick and bony wall surrounding a single seed, derived from a single, simple or compound ovary.
Literature specific to this family: Philipson, W.R. 1987. A classification of the Monimiaceae. Nord. J. Bot. 7:25–29; Lorence, D.H. 1987. The fruits of Decarydendron (Monimiaceae). Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 74:445–446; Jérémie, J. 1978–9. Étude des Monimiaceae: Révision du genre Hedycarya. Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat., sér. 3, Bot. 18:25–53.
General references: Baillon, H.E. 1866–95. Histoire des plantes, 13 vols. Hachette & Co., Paris, 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. & K. Prantl. 1924 and onward. Die Natürlichen Pflanzenfamilimien. W. Engelman, Leipzig, 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, 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
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