follicle
Quick Summary
A follicle is a botanical term for a dry, dehiscent fruit that develops from a single carpel and opens along one suture to release its seeds. This type of fruit is found in plants such as milkweed, columbine, and peony. The term "follicle" can also refer to a small anatomical cavity or a vesicle in the mammalian ovary containing a developing egg.123
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
angiospermFruits…types of dehiscent fruits are follicles, legumes, and capsules. Follicles and legumes are each derived from an ovary with a single carpel, and a capsule is derived from several united carpels. As the fruit matures, the pericarp dries and the fruit splits. Whereas follicles split along a single side of…
Read More…types of dehiscent fruits are follicles, legumes, and capsules. Follicles and legumes are each derived from an ovary with a single carpel, and a capsule is derived from several united carpels. As the fruit matures, the pericarp dries and the fruit splits. Whereas follicles split along a single side of…
Read More
magnoliid cladeReproduction and life cycles…often said to be a follicle. This consists of a single carpel that opens along a ventral suture to release individual seeds. Although follicles are found in some primitive members of the magnoliids, such as Magnoliaceae (Magnoliales), and occur in the early fossil history of flowering plants, many other types…
Read More…often said to be a follicle. This consists of a single carpel that opens along a ventral suture to release individual seeds. Although follicles are found in some primitive members of the magnoliids, such as Magnoliaceae (Magnoliales), and occur in the early fossil history of flowering plants, many other types…
Read More