Locule

Small cavity or compartment within an organ or part of an organism

A bilocular and a multilocular tomato fruit

A 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[edit]

1. ^ "loculus". Oxford Dictionaries. Archived from the original on July 18, 2012.
2. ^ Hickey, M.; King, C. (2001). The Cambridge Illustrated Glossary of Botanical Terms. Cambridge University Press.
3. ^ "Fungi Glossary". Palaeos.com. Archived from the original on 2015-11-18. Retrieved 2016-05-04.

* v
* t
* e

Botany

* History
* Outline

Subdisciplines|

* Archaeobotany
* Astrobotany
* Bryology
* Dendrology
* Ethnobotany
* Paleobotany
* Phycology
* Phytochemistry
* Phytogeography
* Geobotany
* Plant anatomy
* Plant ecology
* Plant pathology

Plant groups|

* Algae
* Archaeplastida
* Bryophyte
* Non-vascular plants
* Vascular plants
* Fern
* Lycophyte
* Spermatophytes
* Gymnosperm
* Angiosperm

Plant anatomy

* Plant morphology
(glossary)

| Plant cells|

* Cell wall
* Phragmoplast
* Plastid
* Plasmodesma
* Vacuole

|

Tissues|

* Cork
* Ground tissue
* Mesophyll
* Meristem
* Storage organs
* Vascular tissue
* Vascular bundle
* Wood

Vegetative|

* Bulb
* Root
* Rhizoid
* Rhizome
* Shoot
* Bud
* Leaf
* Cataphyll
* Petiole
* Sessility
* Stem

Reproductive
(incl. Flower)|

* Archegonium
* Antheridium
* Androecium
* Pollen
* Stamen
* Staminode
* Tapetum
* Flower
* Aestivation
* Flower development
* Floral diagram
* Floral formula
* Floral symmetry
* Whorl
* Fruit
* Anatomy
* Berry
* Capsule
* Nut
* Pyrena
* Seed
* Dispersal
* Endosperm
* Gametophyte
* Gynandrium
* Gynoecium
* Ovary
* Locule
* Ovule
* Stigma
* Hypanthium (Floral cup)
* Inflorescence
* Bract
* Pedicellate
* Raceme
* Umbel
* Perianth
* Tepal
* Petal
* Sepal
* Plant embryo
* Receptacle
* Sporophyll
* Sporophyte

Surface structures|

* Cuticle
* Epicuticular wax
* Epidermis
* Nectar
* Stoma
* Thorns, spines, and prickles
* Trichome

Plant physiology
Materials|

* Aleurone
* Apical dominance
* Bulk flow
* Cellulose
* Nutrition
* Photosynthesis
* Chlorophyll
* Phytomelanin
* Plant hormones
* Respiration
* Gas Exchange
* Cellular respiration
* Sap
* Starch
* Sugar
* Transpiration
* Turgor pressure

Plant growth
and habit|

* Habit
* Cushion plants
* Rosettes
* Shrubs
* Prostrate shrubs
* Subshrubs
* Succulent plants
* Trees
* Vines
* Lianas
* Herbaceous plants
* Secondary growth
* Woody plants

Reproduction

* Evolution
* Ecology

* Alternation of generations
* Double fertilization
* Evolutionary development
* Evolutionary history
* timeline
* Flora
* Germination
* Pollination
* Artificial
* Pollinators
* Pollen tube
* Self
* Sporangium
* Microsporangia
* Microspore
* Megasporangium
* Megaspore
* Spore

Plant taxonomy|

* Biological classification
* Botanical nomenclature
* Botanical name
* Correct name
* Author citation
* International Code of Nomenclature (ICN)
* ICN for Cultivated Plants (ICNCP)
* Cultivated plant taxonomy
* Citrus taxonomy
* Cultigen
* Cultivar
* Group
* Grex
* History of plant systematics
* Herbarium
* International Association for Plant Taxonomy (IAPT)
* Plant taxonomy systems
* Taxonomic rank

Practice|

* Agronomy
* Floriculture
* Forestry
* Horticulture

* Lists
* Related topics

* Botanical terms
* Botanists
* by author abbreviation
* Botanical expeditions
* Individual trees

* Category

This plant morphology article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

|

* v
* t
* e

*[pl.]: plural form
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template