adjective
- (of a flower or plant) having carpels that are separate or not fused together
Usage: botany; technical
Examples
- The apocarpous flowers of buttercups have multiple separate carpels.
- In apocarpous species, each carpel develops independently into a distinct fruit.
- Botanists classify strawberries as apocarpous because their carpels remain separate.
- The apocarpous condition allows for greater variation in fruit development.