dehisce

American  

[dih-his] / dɪˈhɪs /

verb (used without object)

dehisced, dehiscing

1. to burst open, as capsules of plants; gape.

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dehisce British  

/ dɪˈhɪs /

verb

1. (intr) (of fruits, anthers, etc) to burst open spontaneously, releasing seeds, pollen, etc

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Etymology

Origin of dehisce

1650–60; < Latin dēhiscere to gape, part, equivalent to dē- de- + hiscere to gape, yawn ( hi ( āre ) to yawn + -scere inchoative suffix)

Example Sentences

Occasionally, follicles dehisce by the dorsal suture, as in Magnolia grandiflora and Banksia.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 3 "Frost" to "Fyzabad" by Various

Canes long, few, reddish-brown, faint bloom; nodes enlarged, flattened; tendrils semi-continuous, bifid, dehisce early.

From Manual of American Grape-Growing by Hedrick, U. P.

Owing to the rotation of the filaments, the anthers, when mature, dehisce towards the circumference of the flower in one form of Faramea, and towards the centre in the other form.

From The Different Forms of Flowers on Plants of the Same Species by Darwin, Charles

The name capsule is applied generally to all dry syncarpous fruits, which dehisce by valves.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 3 "Frost" to "Fyzabad" by Various

They dehisce properly, but do not appear to contain much pollen.

From The Different Forms of Flowers on Plants of the Same Species by Darwin, Charles