schizocarps

Schizocarps are a type of dry, dehiscent fruit that, at maturity, splits into separate one-seeded units called mericarps. The mericarps originate from a multicarpellate ovary, and when the fruit opens along the sutures between carpels, distinct seed-containing segments are released.

Each mericarp typically contains a single seed and may disperse independently or stay attached to the plant as the surrounding fruit tissue breaks away. This design is a hallmark of several plant groups, most notably the Apiaceae (the carrot or parsley family), where the mature fruit commonly divides into two mericarps, though some species may produce more than two.

Examples and distribution: the fruits of Daucus carota (carrot), Coriandrum sativum (coriander), and many other Apiaceae species such as Pastinaca and Ferula are schizocarps. The term is used for fruits arising from ovaries with multiple carpels that split apart at maturity to reveal separate seeds.

Ecology and function: schizocarps facilitate seed dispersal by producing discrete units that may separate or fall away from one another, potentially enhancing spread by wind, gravity, or animal vectors depending on the species and mericarp morphology.

Terminology and contrast: schizocarp derives from Greek roots meaning “to split” and “fruit.” In botanical descriptions, schizocarps are distinguished from other fruit types such as capsules (which may dehisce in multiple ways) and from non-splitting fruits like achenes or drupes.