noun
- Plural of caryopsis; a type of simple dry fruit in which the seed coat is fused to the fruit wall, characteristic of grasses and cereals.
Usage: botanical term; technical
Examples
- Wheat, rice, and corn produce caryopsides as their fruits.
- The caryopsides of grasses are often called grains in agriculture.
- Botanists classify the fruits of cereal crops as caryopsides.
- Each caryopsis in the ear of corn is a single-seeded fruit with a fused seed coat.