Aril

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the Etruscan deity, see Atlas (mythology) § Etruscan Aril. For the Malaysian entertainer, see Aril (entertainer).
Not to be confused with
aryl
, a type of organic chemical radical.
mace
.
Litchi chinensis is sometimes called an arillode or false aril. It grows partly from the funiculus and partly from the integument of the seed.[1]

An aril (pronounced

mesocarp of the ovary.[5]
The fleshy, edible pericarp splits neatly in two halves, then falling away or being eaten to reveal a brightly coloured pseudaril around the black seed.

The aril may create a

conifers such as the lleuque and the kahikatea. Instead of the woody cone
typical of most gymnosperms, the reproductive structure of the yew consists of a single seed that becomes surrounded by a fleshy, cup-like covering. This covering is derived from a highly modified cone scale.

Development in Taxus

The fleshy aril that surrounds each seed in the yew is a highly modified seed cone scale.

In European yew plants (Taxus baccata), the aril starts out as a small, green band at the base of the seed, then turns brown to red as it enlarges and surrounds the seed, eventually becoming fleshy and scarlet in color at maturity. The aril is attractive to fruit-eating birds and is non-toxic. All other parts of the yew are toxic, including the seed housed inside the aril. If the seed is crushed, breaks or splits in the stomach of a human, bird or another animal, it will result in poisoning. Birds digest the fleshy aril as a food source, and pass the seeds out in their droppings, promoting dispersal of the seeds.

In Dacrycarpus dacrydioides

The kahikatea tree, Dacrycarpus dacrydioides, is native to New Zealand. In pre-European times the aril of the kahikatea was a food source for Māori. The washed arils were called koroi and were eaten raw.[6][7]

See also

  • Elaiosome, fleshy structures attached to the seeds of many plant species
  • Galbulus, a fleshy cone borne chiefly by junipers and cypresses
  • Sarcotesta, a fleshy epidermal layer of a seed coat, as in pomegranate

References

  1. S2CID 82241185
  2. ^ Beentje, H.; Williamson, J. (2010), The Kew Plant Glossary: an Illustrated Dictionary of Plant Terms, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: Kew Publishing
  3. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8137.1973.tb02092.x
    .
  4. ISBN 9780521373500
    .
  5. PMID 23115709
    .
  6. ^ "Dacrycarpus dacrydioides (kahikatea) description". conifers.org. 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2011. The small fruit (koroi) are superabundant and highly nutritious. The birds ate them and flocked for miles to do so.
  7. ^ "Kahikatea, Dacrycarpus". web.auckland.ac.nz. 2011. Archived from the original on 12 January 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2011. The juicy, swollen, red stalk which holds the seed is known as koroi.

Further reading

  • Anderson, E. & Owens, J. N. (2003). Analysing the reproductive biology of Taxus: should it be included in Coniferales? Acta Hort. 615: 233–234.
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