Difference Between Dehiscent and Indehiscent Fruits

The key difference between dehiscent and indehiscent fruits is that the dehiscent fruits are the dry fruits that split open up at maturity in order to release their content including the seeds, while the indehiscent fruits are the dry fruits that do not split open at maturity.

A fruit is the ripened ovary. It contains seeds. There are three major types of fruits as simple, aggregate and multiple. Simple fruits again can be categorized into two groups as dry and fleshy fruits. Dry fruits have a dry mesocarp at maturity. Moreover, there are two types of dry fruits as dehiscent fruits and indehiscent fruits. Dehiscent fruits split open up at maturity while indehiscent fruits do not open up at maturity.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What are Dehiscent Fruits
3. What are Indehiscent Fruits
4. Similarities Between Dehiscent and Indehiscent Fruits
5. Side by Side Comparison – Dehiscent vs Indehiscent Fruits in Tabular Form
6. Summary

What are Dehiscent Fruits?

Dehiscent fruits are the dry fruits that open up at maturity in order to release their content. These fruits burst along the built-in line of weakness. Legumes, capsules and follicles are major types of dehiscent fruits. Peas and beans are two popular types of legumes. Legume splits along two lines of dehiscence. However, peanut is a type of legume that does not split open at maturity due to its development inside the soil.

Figure 01: Dehiscent Fruits

Some capsules (e.g. sweet gum fruit) release winged seeds when they crack open at maturity. Follicles split lengthwise along one edge of the carpel. Some examples for dehiscent follicles are cotton, eucalyptus, horse chestnut, jimson weed, mahogany and witch hazel.

What are Indehiscent Fruits?

Indehiscent fruits are the dry fruits which do not open at maturity to shed their seeds. Therefore, these fruits lack a built-in line of weakness.

Figure 02: Indehiscent Fruit – Achene

Since they are unable to split open by their own, the dispersal of their seeds depends on predation or decomposition to release their seeds and contents. Achene, nuts, samara, cypsela, schizocarp and caryopsis are several types of indehiscent fruits.

What are the Similarities Between Dehiscent and Indehiscent Fruits?

• Dehiscent and indehiscent fruits are two major types of dry fruits.
• Their mesocarps become dry at maturity.
• They are unique to angiosperms.
• Moreover, they contain seeds and are responsible for the propagation.

What is the Difference Between Dehiscent and Indehiscent Fruits?

Dehiscent fruits are the fruits that split open at maturity to release seeds. Meanwhile, indehiscent fruits are the dry fruits that do not split open at maturity. So, this is the key difference between dehiscent and indehiscent fruits.

Moreover, the dehiscent fruits are able to disperse their seeds on their own, while the indehiscent fruits depend on decomposition or predation in order to disperse their seeds. Therefore, we can consider this too as a significant difference between dehiscent and indehiscent fruits. For example, follicles, legumes and capsules are the three major types of dehiscent fruits, while achene, nut, samara, cypsela, caryopsis and schizocarp are major types of indehiscent fruits.

The below tabulation summarizes the difference between dehiscent and indehiscent fruits.

Summary – Dehiscent vs Indehiscent Fruits

Dehiscent and indehiscent fruits are two types of dry fruits that differ based on the opening at maturity. Dehiscent fruits split open up at maturity to release their content, especially seeds. In contrast, indehiscent fruits do not open at maturity. Hence, they depend on predation or degradation for the release of their seeds. So, this is the key difference between dehiscent and indehiscent fruits.

Reference:

1. “Classification of Fruit Types.” Fruit Key. University of Wisconsin, Available here.
2. “Dry Dehiscent Fruit.” John Burroughs Science Department, Available here.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Legumes Peas Pod Free Photo” (CC0) via Needpix.com
2. “Achene Inflorescence Seed Free Photo” (CC0) via Needpix.com

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