Achene
Achene
Achene (pronounced: /əˈkiːn/) is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate (formed from one carpel) and indehiscent (they do not open at maturity).
Etymology
The term "achene" comes from the Greek ἀ, a-, meaning "not", and χαίνειν, chainein, meaning "to gape", referring to the fruit's indehiscence.
Description
An achene is a small, hard, dry fruit that contains a single seed that is attached to the pericarp at a single point. The pericarp is the fruit wall developed from the ovary. In an achene, the seed coat is attached to the thin, dry pericarp. The pericarp is free from the seed and does not adhere to the seed coat, as in grains or nuts.
Examples
Common examples of plants that produce achenes include dandelions, buttercups, and sunflowers. In these plants, what is often thought of as a single seed is actually a fruit containing a seed.
Related Terms
- Carpel: The female reproductive organ of a flower, consisting of an ovary, a stigma, and usually a style. It may occur singly or as one of a group.
- Pericarp: The part of a fruit formed from the wall of the ripened ovary.
- Indehiscent: A term used in botany to describe a type of fruit that does not split open to release its seeds when ripe.
- Monocarpellate: Having a single carpel or a single chambered ovary.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Achene
- Wikipedia's article - Achene
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