angiocarpous

adjective

Meaning

Having reproductive structures enclosed within a protective covering during development.

Examples

  • Many species of fungi are angiocarpous, keeping their spores shielded from the environment until the final stages of growth.
  • The botanist identified the specimen as angiocarpous because its seeds were encased in a fleshy, closed fruit wall.

Synonyms: enclosed, covered, protected, cleistocarpous