funicle

Funicle is a botanical term describing the slender stalk that attaches an ovule to the ovary wall or placenta within the ovary. Its primary function is to provide a conduit for nutrients and vascular supply from maternal tissues to the developing ovule and, later, to the seed during seed formation. In most flowering plants, the funicle remains as the connecting strand between the seed and the ovule, with the point of attachment on the seed indicated by the hilum, a visible scar where the funicle once connected to the seed coat.

During seed maturation, the funicle may persist as a distinct structure in some species, while in others it withers or becomes less conspicuous as the seed develops. The presence and development of the funicle can influence the morphology of the seed and its attachment to the parent plant.

The word derives from Latin funiculus, meaning “small rope.” In older botanical literature, funicle is sometimes used interchangeably with the term funiculus, though modern usage may vary. Outside plant science, the term is less common and, when encountered, is generally used to describe a slender cord-like structure in other anatomical contexts, with more specific terminology preferred for those systems.