Commelinaceae

fruit or seed

Fruit dehiscentdehiscent:
(v. dehisce) splitting open at maturity to release contents (of a fruit)
, loculicidalloculicidal:
type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally through the locules (compare septicidal)
capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit formed by two or more carpels
, rarely 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.
or berry-like capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit formed by two or more carpels
(Pollia), sometimes winged, 1.5–15 mm long, globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
to trigonoustrigonous:
3D shape—having three faces that meet at distinct angles; triangular in outline
, angledangled:
2D shape—having sides that meet at acute or obtuse angles  
in transectiontransection:
a cross section; representing a plane made by cutting across an organ at a right angle to its length
, sometimes beakedbeaked:
a usually firm, terminal appendage, sometimes tapered
, few to many seeded. Perianthperianth:
collective term for calyx and corolla of a flower
may be persistent. Pericarppericarp:
fruit wall or fruit coat
brown, gray, black, white, sometimes blue, shinyshiny:
uniformly reflecting a high proportion of incident light at all angles
or dulldull:
reflecting only a low proportion of incident light, with no apparent sheen
, crustaceouscrustaceous:
texture—thin, dry, indurate, and brittle
, leatheryleathery:
texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable
, membranousmembranous:
texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough
, glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
or pubescentpubescent:
surface relief—bearing hairs
, smooth, spinyspiny:
having slender, stiff, sharp projections oriented in the general plane of the structure
, wartywarty:
surface relief—distinct, rounded projections that are large relative to the fruit size; tuberculate, verrucose
, 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
. Pollia berriesberries:
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.
are hard and crustaceouscrustaceous:
texture—thin, dry, indurate, and brittle
, usually metallic blue. Similarly, a few species of Commelina have hard, crustaceouscrustaceous:
texture—thin, dry, indurate, and brittle
, colorful capsulescapsules:
a dry, dehiscent fruit formed by two or more carpels
.

Seed compressedcompressed:
flattened; in grasses, used to denote compression (not necessarily flattened) either laterally or dorsiventrally
, globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
to reniformreniform:
2D or 3D shape—kidney-shaped
, 0.5–6 mm long, sometimes winged (Aetheoliron). 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
present in Amishotolype, Dishorisandra, and Porandra only, often red, fleshyfleshy:
texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut
, and adnate to the seed coat. ArilsArils:
(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 in all other genera. Operculumoperculum:
a dehiscent cap (or lid) of a seed or fruit that opens during germination or dehiscence
or a dorsaldorsal:
abaxial; the back of an organ; the side away from the axis (compare ventral)
, laterallateral:
(of embryo) embryo lies along the side of the seed, generally towards one end; of, at, or from the side; in grasses, can refer to the sides adjacent to the dorsal and ventral sides
, or terminal, cap-like callosity is present and surrounded by micropylar collarmicropylar collar:
collar shaped tissue at micropyle
, except in Cartonema. Hilumhilum:
on seeds, the scar indicating where the funiculus was attached; on grass caryopses, the scar visible on the outer caryopsis surface revealing where the seed is attached on the inner fruit wall surface; or in Asteraceae cypselae, the scar visible on the pericarp revealing where the fruit was attached to the receptacle
present, punctatepunctate:
surface relief—dotted with pits or with translucent, sunken glands or with colored dots, similar to pitted
or larger and irregular, orbicularorbicular:
2D shape—circular in outline, 3D shape—globose
, or linearlinear:
(shape) long, narrow, and uniform in width; (of embryo) embryo is straight and much longer than wide
in shape. Hilumhilum:
on seeds, the scar indicating where the funiculus was attached; on grass caryopses, the scar visible on the outer caryopsis surface revealing where the seed is attached on the inner fruit wall surface; or in Asteraceae cypselae, the scar visible on the pericarp revealing where the fruit was attached to the receptacle
may be dorsaldorsal:
abaxial; the back of an organ; the side away from the axis (compare ventral)
, laterallateral:
(of embryo) embryo lies along the side of the seed, generally towards one end; of, at, or from the side; in grasses, can refer to the sides adjacent to the dorsal and ventral sides
, semi-lateral, or terminal. Seed coat black, gray, blue, brown, yellow, dulldull:
reflecting only a low proportion of incident light, with no apparent sheen
, bonybony:
very hard and rather brittle, like bone
, membranousmembranous:
texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough
or mealymealy:
loose, dry, and disintegrating in finely granular pieces like meal or flour
in texture, always sculptured, and sometimes pubescentpubescent:
surface relief—bearing hairs
.

Embryo usually small but well developed, except Cartonema (embryo minute), basalbasal:
at or pertaining to the point of attachment; (of embryo) embryo occupies one end of the seed
, capitatecapitate:
head-shaped; abruptly enlarged on one end to a relatively short, terminal portion
to dumbbell shaped, straight. Endospermendosperm:
nutritive starch- and oil-containing tissue present in many seeds
copious, mealy.