indehiscence

botany

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June 29, 2026

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In botany, indehiscence refers to the quality or state of a fruit remaining closed at maturity, meaning its pericarp (fruit wall) does not split open to release the seeds. This is in contrast to dehiscent fruits, which split open when ripe.123

Indehiscent fruits are a category of dry fruits and include types such as:
* Achenes: Small, single-seeded fruits where the seed is attached only at one point.3
* Caryopses: Also known as grains, where the seed coat is fused with the pericarp, characteristic of grasses like corn.3
* Samaras: Winged achenes that aid in wind dispersal.34
* Nuts: Fruits with a hard or stony pericarp, typically containing a single seed.3
* Schizocarps: Fruits derived from a compound ovary that splits into several one-seeded segments.3

Examples of plants producing indehiscent fruits include grasses, maples, oaks, and sunflowers.345

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Fabales
Characteristic morphological features
…split open when ripe (indehiscent), as with Robinia (locusts) and Cercis (redbud). In many Fabaceae—for instance, Melilotus (sweet clover)—the fruit has been reduced to a single-seeded indehiscent structure that resembles a tiny nutlet. In others, it is several-seeded and indehiscent but is divided transversely into single-seeded segments that break…
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…split open when ripe (indehiscent), as with Robinia (locusts) and Cercis (redbud). In many Fabaceae—for instance, Melilotus (sweet clover)—the fruit has been reduced to a single-seeded indehiscent structure that resembles a tiny nutlet. In others, it is several-seeded and indehiscent but is divided transversely into single-seeded segments that break…
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angiosperm
Fruits
…fruits are either dehiscent or indehiscent. They are dehiscent if the pericarp splits open at maturity and releases the seeds, or indehiscent if the pericarp remains intact when the fruit is shed from the plant. The three principal types of dehiscent fruits are follicles, legumes, and capsules. Follicles and legumes…
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…fruits are either dehiscent or indehiscent. They are dehiscent if the pericarp splits open at maturity and releases the seeds, or indehiscent if the pericarp remains intact when the fruit is shed from the plant. The three principal types of dehiscent fruits are follicles, legumes, and capsules. Follicles and legumes…
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