Page 34 - Pharmacognosy 2 PG303 (1)

Pharmacognosy-2 (PG303) Level 2 Clinical Pharmacy-Pharm D

C- Schizocarpic fruits
1- When they are two to many-seeded, multilocular splitting into a number
of one-seeded indehiscent parts called mericarps. Each mericarp may represent one
carpel e.g., Fennel or a part of it e.g., Malva. The most important forms include:

1. Lomentum: A legume or siliqua in which numerous transverse septa are
formed. Splitting occurs through these septa into one seeded indehiscent parts e.g.
Cassia pods and Radish fruits.
2. Cremocarp: Developed from bicarpellary bilocular inferior ovary.
splitting longitudinally through the septum into 2 one-seeded mericarps running
from below upwards e.g., Umbelliferous fruits.
3. Carcerulus: Developed from bicarpellary bilocular to multicarpellary
multilocular ovary, the number of locules becomes doubled (by false septa) and
splits on ripening into mericarps of double the number of carpels e.g. fruits of
Labiatae.
4. Regma: A modified capsule, splitting into its corresponding number of
carpels, as one-seeded dehiscent parts called cocci e.g., Ricinus.

Succulent Fruits
These fruits are usually indehiscent. Occasionally part of pericarp splits off,
with fleshy pericarp sometimes becoming tough and fibrous on ripening. These
include:

A- Berry
In this type, the pericarp may be differentiated into epicarp, mesocarp and
endocarp but the endocarp is not woody. The fruits are formed from
monocarpellary ovary e.g., Date or from syncarpous gynoecium either of superior
ovary e.g., Citrus fruits or of inferior ovary e.g., Banana. Berry is usually many
seeded e.g., Capsicum, sometimes one-seeded as in Date.

II. AGGREGATE FRUITS
These are formed of a group of fruits arranged on a single receptacle because

they are developed from apocarpous gynoecium where each free carpel develops a
fruit. They may be a group of achenes (Strawberry) or of follicles (Star anise).

III. COMPOSITE FRUITS

These fruits are formed from whole inflorescence. They include:
1- Strobile: Dry composite fruit derived from a scaly inflorescence of the
same name, in the axil of each scale, there may be one or two achenial fruits (Hops).

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