Loculicidal

Loculicidal refers to a mode of fruit dehiscence in angiosperms, especially in capsules, where the fruit opens by rupturing along the walls of the locules—the chambers within the ovary—to release the seeds. In loculicidal dehiscence, the rupture occurs along the lines of the locule walls, and the outer pericarp remains largely intact. The seeds are released as the locule walls split away, rather than as the fruit breaking along the walls that separate the locules from each other.

This pattern is contrasted with septicidal dehiscence, in which the capsule splits along the septa, the walls that divide the locules. In septicidal dehiscence, the openings occur between the locules, and the capsule tends to fracture into the individual locules. The distinction between loculicidal and septicidal patterns is an important diagnostic feature in plant systematics and helps describe the mechanics of seed release.

Loculicidal dehiscence typically occurs in multi-locular capsules, though the exact rupture pattern can vary among taxa. The phenomenon is influenced by tissue differentiation within the fruit, including the relative strength of the locule walls versus the surrounding pericarp. Understanding loculicidal dehiscence aids in characterizing fruit morphology and can inform studies of dispersal strategies and phenology.

See also: dehiscence, septicidal dehiscence, circumscissile dehiscence, schizocarp.