dehiscere

Dehiscere is a Latin verb meaning to gape, open, or split apart. In English, the related noun dehiscence describes the act or process by which an enclosed structure opens to release its contents. The term is used in fields such as botany and medicine to denote natural opening along a defined seam or line.

In botany, dehiscence refers to the mature splitting of a plant organ—most commonly a seed capsule or anthers—to disperse seeds or pollen. Plants with dehiscent fruits are described as dehiscent, while those whose fruits do not split at maturity are indehiscent. Dehiscence can follow several patterns, including loculicidal (opening along the walls of the locules), septicidal (along the septa between locules), and poricidal (opening through pores). Examples include many capsule-type fruits and some legumes, though the specifics vary among plant groups.

In medicine, wound dehiscence describes the partial or complete separation of a surgical wound along the incision line, typically occurring in the early postoperative period. It is a serious complication that raises the risk of infection and may require wound care or reoperation. Risk factors include poor nutritional status, infection, increased abdominal pressure, steroid use, and prior radiation therapy.

Other uses of the term appear in mycology and plant sciences where dehiscence describes the release of spores or seeds from a structure. The opposite concept is indehiscence, where a structure remains closed.