indehiscent

1 9.9

Does not open when ripe to release seeds

adjective
/ˌɪndɪˈhɪsənt/

Specialized

: indehiscente

Peanuts are an example of an indehiscent fruit, meaning they do not split open at maturity.

Examples

The evolutionary significance of indehiscent fruits can be seen in their role in animal seed dispersal.
Some plants produce indehiscent pods to protect their seeds until they are eaten or decay.
The indehiscent fruit of the cherry tree remains closed until harvested.
In botany, an indehiscent pod does not split open.
An indehiscent fruit, like a hazelnut, does not split open naturally to release its seeds.
The sunflower is an example of a plant that produces indehiscent seeds, which remain enclosed until harvested.
Many legumes are dehiscent, while others, like certain types of peas, have indehiscent pods that retain their seeds.

Antonyms

dehiscent

Specialized

9.9

Plant parts, like seed pods, that split open and let out seeds

How Open

dehiscent

Specialized

9.9

indehiscent

Specialized

1 9.9

Surface Forms

indehiscent positive

Morphology

indehiscent = dehiscent (semi-transparent) = in + dehisce + ent

The prefix 'in-' straightforwardly negates the adjective 'dehiscent', yielding 'not opening spontaneously', a regular morphological negation.

Etymology

Indehiscent breaks into in- 'not' and dehisce 'to split open'. It describes fruits or pods that do not open by themselves to release seeds, so the word literally means 'not splitting open'.