dissepiments

Dissepiments are internal walls or partitions found in the ovaries of certain plants. They divide the ovary into two or more compartments, known as locules. These dissepiments develop from the margins of carpels, which are the modified leaves that form the female reproductive organ of a flower. The arrangement and number of dissepiments are important characteristics used in plant identification and classification.

In some plants, the dissepiments are complete and extend fully from the ovary wall to the center, effectively separating the locules. In other species, the dissepiments may be incomplete or absent, resulting in a single locule or partially divided compartments. The number of locules in an ovary is often directly related to the number of dissepiments. For example, a flower with a bicarpellate ovary and one complete dissepiment will typically have two locules.

The presence and structure of dissepiments can vary significantly among different plant families and genera. For instance, in fruits like tomatoes, dissepiments divide the ovary into several juicy chambers containing seeds. In contrast, some fruits, like peas, develop from ovaries with only marginal placentation and lack prominent internal dissepiments, resulting in a single locule. Studying dissepiments helps botanists understand the evolutionary relationships and reproductive strategies of plants.