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How do follicles and achenes differ as Alismataceae fruit types?
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Alismatales
Showy and delicate flowers of the flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus).
The premise that follicles and achenes are distinct fruit types within the Alismataceae family is accurate, as members of this family produce either one or the other. These fruits differ primarily in their maturity and mechanism of seed release:1
- Follicles: These are dehiscent dry fruits, meaning they split open at maturity to release their seeds. A follicle is derived from a single carpel and specifically splits along a single side of the fruit.21
- Achenes: These are indehiscent dry fruits, meaning the pericarp (fruit wall) remains intact when the fruit is shed from the plant. An achene contains a single seed that lies free within the cavity, attached only by a single point.21
In summary, while both are dry fruits derived from single carpels, follicles actively open to disperse seeds, whereas achenes remain closed and shed as a single unit.21