silique

The term 'silique' refers to the dehiscent fruits in the Brassicaceae – Cabbage family. These consists of 4 (according to older interpretations 2) carpels: 2 narrow carpels are fertile and form the rapellum at which the placenta with the ovules is inserted. The 2 broad carpels are sterile. At maturity, they dissolve from the fruit as valves. The (mostly developed) septum is not formed by a carpel and, therefore, referred to as 'false septum'. Furthermore, silique s. str. (fruit at least 3 -times as long as broad, e. g. in Erysimum – Wallflower) and silicles (fruit maximal 3-times as long as broad, e. g. in Thlaspi – Pennycress) may be distinguished.


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