Question

Fruit is silicula in
a. Brassica
b. Iberis
c. Capsella bursa-pastoris
d. both b and C

Answer 1

Hint: Silicula is a type of capsular dehiscent fruit with a superior, syncarpous ovary having a false septum known as replum. It is a short and flattened version of siliqua fruit. The siliqua fruit becomes shorter and flattened and when it becomes broad and long with a few seeds, then it is called silicula. This shows that the silica is a fruit derived from the siliqua fruit.

Complete answer:
A short and flattened siliqua is called silicula. It is almost as broad as long. Examples: Iberis amara (Candytuft), Capsella bursa-pastoris (Shepherd’s purse).

> Iberis amara belongs to the Brassicaceae family. The plants of this species are annuals, evergreen perennials, and subshrubs.

> Capsella bursa-pastoris belongs to the family Brassicaceae. The plants of this species are small, annual, and ruderal flowering plants.

> Siliqua develops from a carpellary, syncarpous, superior ovary which is unilocular but becomes bilocular due to a false septum called replum. Silicula is an elongated fruit. In this, dehiscence occurs along both the sutures from base to apex, and the seeds attached to the replum get exposed. Example-Brassica (Mustard).

Hence, the correct answer is option (D).

Additional information:
Siliqua is the long, narrow seed pod of many plants belongs to the family- Brassicaceae, that splits and opens when mature. While silicula is the fruit which is short and broad siliqua. Silique is a type of any dry that separates at maturity into two or four segments. These segments are called valves, leaving a persistent partition that bears the seeds.

Note: A silicula is a fruit which is a short and broad silique, as it is found in (Capsella). Both types are characteristic of plants in the Brassicaceae family. Now the difference is that a silicula is a narrow form of siliqua.