Caryopsis (Noun)
Meaning
Dry seed-like fruit produced by the cereal grasses: e.g. wheat, barley, Indian corn.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- The type of fruit known as a caryopsis is characteristic of cereal grasses, such as wheat and barley.
- Caryopsis are formed by the fusion of the pericarp and the seed coat, making them difficult to distinguish as separate entities.
- Wheat, oats, and barley all produce caryopsis, which is why they are easy to harvest and thresh by machine.
- One of the hardest types of fruit to open is the caryopsis, requiring specialized equipment or processing techniques.
- Botanists use the term caryopsis to describe fruits like those of the corn plant, in which the seeds become fused to the ovary wall.