Word of the Week: Dehiscent

Dehiscent: (De-his-cent) Bursting or splitting open at maturity. Usually used of a fruit that bursts open to release its seeds (e.g. pea pod).*

The pods of dog-strangling vine are dehiscent fruits, they split open to release their seeds in the fall. Apples are an example of an indehiscent fruit as they do not split open at maturity.

*Allaby, M. (2006). A dictionary of plant sciences (Revised ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.