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Glite Dictionary
apocarpous

apocarpous

9.9
Having carpels that are separate from one another, as in roses or buttercups
  • adjective
  • /ˌæpəˈkɑrpəs/
  • Specialized
: apocárpico
  • The buttercup is an example of an apocarpous plant, with separate carpels in its ovary.

Examples

  • Roses produce apocarpous fruits, with each carpel developing independently.

  • In botany class, we studied flowers with apocarpous and syncarpous ovaries.

  • The buttercup is an apocarpous flower.

  • Is the rose apocarpous or syncarpous?

  • In botany class, we studied flowers with apocarpous and syncarpous ovaries.

  • Roses produce apocarpous fruits, with each carpel developing independently.

  • The buttercup is an example of an apocarpous plant, with separate carpels in its ovary.

Antonyms

syncarpous
  • Specialized
9.9

The parts of a flower that make seeds join together

Surface Forms

apocarpous positive

Morphology

apocarpous = apocarp (semi-transparent) = apo + carp + ous

The suffix '-ous' forms an adjective from 'apocarp', but the botanical context requires specialized knowledge.

Etymology

The word apocarpous comes from the Greek parts apo- meaning 'away' and karpos meaning 'fruit'. So an apocarpous flower has its fruit parts each 'away' from the others — the carpels are separate instead of joined, which is why the word describes flowers like buttercups and roses.