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Fruits

 21-Circumscissile capsule, Portulaca

[FMP-field: image]
In a circumscissile capsule (pyxis), a lid comes off from the base of the fruit, following a horizontal line that runs all the way around the fruit.

The word "pyxis" is a Latin word meaning a little box for cosmetics, powder, or medicines. The plural of "pyxis" is "pyxidis".

These are the fruits of Portulaca (Portulacaceae).

Photo by K. R. Robertson and D. L. Nickrent of plants cultivated at the University of Illinois.
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