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) simplesimple:
fruit formed from a single flower with one pistil, solitary carpel or several fused carpels
, or compound; 1; 1-pistillate; with carpels united. Fruit pericarpium; simplesimple:
fruit formed from a single flower with one pistil, solitary carpel or several fused carpels
, or 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
; capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
, or 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.
(not Spjut); achenarium (Globularia, Poskea; unknown in Lagotis); denticidaldenticidal:
type of capsular dehiscence, fruit opening by a series of apical teeth
capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary, or fissuricidal capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary, or foraminicidalforaminicidal:
type of capsular dehiscence, fruits opening irregularly
capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary (Spjut Fig. 32B), or loculicidalloculicidal:
type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally through the locules (compare septicidal)
capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary, or septicidalsepticidal:
type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally by separating between the septa of adjacent carpels
capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary, or poricidalporicidal:
type of capsular dehiscence, fruit opening by pores or flaps (often near the top)
capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary (3 families: Loganiaceae, Saxifragaceae, Scrophulariaceae & in this family opening by valves, teeth, irregular ruptures of operculumoperculum:
a dehiscent cap (or lid) of a seed or fruit that opens during germination or dehiscence
, forming 1–2 pores); capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary not inflated, or inflated; capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary without operculumoperculum:
a dehiscent cap (or lid) of a seed or fruit that opens during germination or dehiscence
; 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. indehiscent; 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. without central placental mass; without persistent central column; valves not diverging at top of 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 calyxcalyx:
the outer whorl of the perianth; all the sepals of a flower
; accrescentaccrescent:
growing continuously
; persistent; soft calyxcalyx:
the outer whorl of the perianth; all the sepals of a flower; many-seeded; many; with 2-carpellate; with carpels united; with carpels remaining united at maturity; with carpels not radiating at maturity; with carpels remaining connected at stylestyle:
in a flower, the narrow and elongated part of the pistil between the stigma and the ovary; sometimes persisting in fruit
, or separating at stylestyle:
in a flower, the narrow and elongated part of the pistil between the stigma and the ovary; sometimes persisting in fruit; 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
; in transectiontransection:
a cross section; representing a plane made by cutting across an organ at a right angle to its length
tereteterete:
approximately circular in cross section; width and thickness approximately equal
; apexapex:
the point farthest from the point of attachment, or the "tip" of an organ not beaked; wall membranaceousmembranous:
texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough
(at least); 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 seed(s). Dehiscentdehiscent:
(v. dehisce) splitting open at maturity to release contents (of a fruit) passively, or actively; and shedding seeds; 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
brown (all shades); dulldull:
reflecting only a low proportion of incident light, with no apparent sheen
; durable; membranousmembranous:
texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough
(Globularia); glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
, or not glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
(with hairs); hairs short; hairs dense, or scattered; hairs white; hairs not glandularglandular:
surface relief—covered with small, raised secretory glands, regular or irregularly shaped, translucent or opaque, and maybe distinctly colored
; 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
absent, or present. Endocarpendocarp:
the inner layer of the pericarp, if divided into layers
present, or absent; not separating from exocarpexocarp:
outer layer of fruit wall or pericarp, if divided into layers; note here used synonymously with epicarp
; thinthin:
having or being of relatively little depth
; not splitting into 1-seeded pyrenes; smooth; 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 hooks (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 minute, or larger than minute; less than 1 mm long to 1 to less than 5 mm long; 0.5–3.5 mm long; irregular, or ovaloval:
2D shape—elongate, widest at the middle, and symmetrically convex-attenuate to rounded ends
, or obovoidobovoid:
3D shape—obovate
, or circularcircular:
(of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an "O" shape
, or linearlinear:
(shape) long, narrow, and uniform in width; (of embryo) embryo is straight and much longer than wide
; in transectiontransection:
a cross section; representing a plane made by cutting across an organ at a right angle to its length tereteterete:
approximately circular in cross section; width and thickness approximately equal
, or compressedcompressed:
flattened; in grasses, used to denote compression (not necessarily flattened) either laterally or dorsiventrally
, or flattened; bowl shaped, or 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, or without food reserves (rarely), or without apparent food reserves; with endospermendosperm:
nutritive starch- and oil-containing tissue present in many seeds
; without canavanine. Sarcotestasarcotesta:
pulpy or fleshy outer layer of the seed coat, simulates aril
absent. Testatesta:
seed coat
present, or absent; adnate to epicarpepicarp:
outer layer of fruit wall or pericarp, if divided into layers; note here used synonymously with exocarp; without embryo surrounded and capped by viscid tissue; with markedly different marginalmarginal:
at, on, or close to the margin or border
tissue, or without markedly different marginalmarginal:
at, on, or close to the margin or border
tissue; marginalmarginal:
at, on, or close to the margin or border
tissue winglike; without fleshyfleshy:
texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut
or leatheryleathery:
texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable
layer over hard layer; tight; surface unsmooth, or smooth; surface with depressed features, or discreet raised features, or merged raised features; surface punctatepunctate:
surface relief—dotted with pits or with translucent, sunken glands or with colored dots, similar to pitted
; surface granulargranular:
surface relief—having a grainy surface
, or papillatepapillate:
surface relief—bearing minute, distinct, broad-based projections, tapering to a rounded apex
, or tuberculatetuberculate:
surface relief—bearing small, warty, swelling, rounded, or variously shaped projections
; surface reticulatereticulate:
surface relief—netted, raised walls or concave grooves forming a net-like surface pattern with flat, concave, or convex interspaces
, or rugoserugose:
=wrinkled
, or striatestriate:
surface relief—having fine, parallel lines, grooves or ridges
; with crease or line separating cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle, or without crease or line separating cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle; with notch along margin where cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle tip approaching each other, or without notch along margin where cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle tip approach each other; without glands; without bristles; glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
; without wings, or with wing(s); 1-winged; with wing encompassing seed; with wing(s) solid; with solid wing(s) similar to testatesta:
seed coat
; 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), or black; crustaceouscrustaceous:
texture—thin, dry, indurate, and brittle
; not becoming mucilaginousmucilaginous:
resembling mucilage; moist and sticky
when wetted; surrounding endospermendosperm:
nutritive starch- and oil-containing tissue present in many seeds, or surrounding embryo. Endospermendosperm:
nutritive starch- and oil-containing tissue present in many seeds development cellular, or nuclear; copious; fleshyfleshy:
texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut
, or cartilaginouscartilaginous:
texture—firm, dense, tough, somewhat pliable, and resilient, like cartilage
; 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; completely filling testatesta:
seed coat
(no food reserve), or nearly filling testatesta:
seed coat
(trace or scanty food reserve), or partially filling testatesta:
seed coat
(with food reserve); chamber central to wings; 0.4–1 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; foliatefoliate:
appearing leaf-like
, or linearlinear:
(shape) long, narrow, and uniform in width; (of embryo) embryo is straight and much longer than wide, or miniature; 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; straight, or C-shapedC-shaped:
2D-shape—semiannulate, curved into the shape of the letter 'C'
, or annularannular:
3D shape—forming a ring
(rarely); parallel to seed length; embedded in endospermendosperm:
nutritive starch- and oil-containing tissue present in many seeds; with cotyledons abruptly connected to hypocotyl-radicle, or gradually connected to hypocotyl-radicle; without coleorhiza; without simmondsin; without stomata; not green (but may be violet); with 2 or more cotyledons, or acotyledonous (Lathraea). Cotyledons 2; tiny, or moderately developed, or well developed; 0.1–0.7 times length of embryo; as wide as hypocotyl-radicle, or somewhat to significantly wider than hypocotyl-radicle; 1–3 times wider than hypocotyl-radicle; partially concealing hypocotyl-radicle; thinthin:
having or being of relatively little depth
; 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, or well developed; straight, or curvedcurved:
(of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an arch or horseshoe with the ends far apart
; not thickened.
- but which kind? Read Sutton (1988).
Literature specific to this family: Sutton, D.A. 1988. A revision of the tribe Antirrhineae. Oxford University Press, London; Musselman, L.J. & W.F. Mann, Jr. 1976. A survey of surface characteristics of seeds of Scrophulariaceae and Orobanchaceae using scanning electron microscopy. Phytomorphology 26:370–379; Elisens, W.J. & A.S. Thomb. 1983. Seed morphology in New World Antirrhinae (Scrophulariaceae): Systematic and phylogenetic implications. Pl. Syst. Evol. 142:23–47; Canne, J.M. 1980. Seed surface features in Aureolaria, Brachystigma, Tomanthera, and certain South American Agalinis (Scrophulariaceae). Syst. Bot. 5:241–252; Falcão Ichaso, C.L. 1978. Tipos de sementes encontradas nas Scrophulariaceae. Rodriguésia 30:335–344.
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, 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. & C.A. Ritchie. 1988. Identification of disseminulesdisseminule:
detachable plant part capable of being disseminated and of propagating, commonly a seed or fruit
listed in the Federal Noxious Weed Act. Techn. Bull. U.S.D.A. 1719:1–313, 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, LeMaout, E. & J. Decaisne. 1876. A general system of botany, 1,065 p. Longmans, Green, & Co., London, Mabberley, D.J. 1987. The plant-book, 706 p. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, Martin, A.C. 1946. The comparative internal morphology of seeds. Amer. Midl. Naturalist 36:513–660, Schopmeyer, C.S. 1974. Seeds of Woodywoody:
texture—consisting mainly of indurate lignified tissues, characteristic of or resembling wood
plants in the United States. Agric. Handb. 450:1–883, Spjut, R.W. 1994. A systematic treatment of fruit types. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 70:1–182, and Wood, C.E., Jr. 1974. A student's atlas of flowering plants: Some dicotyledons of eastern North America, 120 pp. Harper & Row, New York.
Authors: M. Islam, A. Gottlieb, M. Maher, J. Scher, A. Redford
Content last updated August 2024
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