Flowers and fruit (capsules) of the ground orchid, Spathoglottis plicata. (Enlarge)
In botany a capsule is a type of simple, dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. A capsule is a dehiscent structure composed of two or more carpels, that, at maturity, split apart (dehisce) to release the seeds within. In some capsules, the split occurs between carpels, and in others each carpel splits open. In yet others, seeds are released through openings or pores that form in the capsule. In the Brazil nut, a lid on the capsule opens, but is too small to release the dozen or so seeds (the actual "Brazil nut" of commerce) within. These germinate inside the capsule after it falls to the ground.
In botany, a capsule is another term for the sporangium of mosses and hornworts.
Capsules, meaning a metal cap or cover on bottles and jars as on wine bottles, were historically made of lead, and protected the cork from being gnawed away by rodents or infested with cork weevil.
In anatomy, the term capsule is used to denote a cover or envelope partly or wholly surrounding a structure.
Feeds |
Contact