silicle

A silicle is a type of dry, dehiscent fruit produced by many flowering plants in the family Brassicaceae. It is the shortened form of a siliqua, and its defining feature is its relatively compact shape: the length of the pod is not more than about twice its width.

Like siliques, silicles develop from a single ovary and, at maturity, split open along two longitudinal sutures to release the seeds. The seeds are typically arranged along a central partition or replum, and the overall fruit structure remains a capsule that opens to shed seeds.

The term silicle is used in botanical descriptions to distinguish short, broad pods from elongated siliques. The distinction is primarily geometric rather than taxonomic, and silicles occur across various genera within Brassicaceae. The practical severity of the boundary can vary among species, but the length-to-width ratio remains the main criterion used by researchers and field observers.

Etymology and usage: silique derives from Latin siliqua meaning “pod,” and silicle is a diminutive form of siliqua. The terms are used in descriptive morphology to help identify and compare fruit types within the family and in related seed-dispersal studies.

See also: siliqua.