LoculeA locule (pl.: locules) or loculus (Latin for 'little place'; pl.: loculi) is a small cavity[1] or compartment within an organ or part of an organism (animal, plant, or fungus). In angiosperms (flowering plants), the term locule usually refers to a chamber within an ovary (gynoecium or carpel) of the flower and fruits. Depending on the number of locules in the ovary, fruits can be classified as unilocular (uni-locular), bilocular, trilocular, or multilocular. The number of locules present in a gynoecium may be equal to or less than the number of carpels. The locules contain the ovules or seeds. The term may also refer to chambers within anthers containing pollen.[2] In ascomycetous fungi, locules are chambers within the hymenium in which the perithecia develop.[3] References
|