Parthenocarpy

Seedless watermelon

In botany and horticulture, parthenocarpy is the natural or artificially induced production of fruit without fertilisation of ovules, which makes the fruit seedless. The phenomenon has been observed since ancient times[1] but was first scientifically described by German botanist Fritz Noll in 1902.[2]

Stenospermocarpy may also produce apparently seedless fruit, but the seeds are actually aborted while they are still small. Parthenocarpy (or stenospermocarpy) occasionally occurs as a mutation in nature; if it affects every flower, the plant can no longer sexually reproduce[citation needed] but might be able to propagate by apomixis or by vegetative means. Examples of this include many citrus varieties that undergo nucellar embryony for reproduction, instead of solely sexual reproduction, and can yield seedless fruits.

  1. ^ Gustafson, Felix G. (1942-11-01). "Parthenocarpy: Natural and artificial". The Botanical Review. 8 (9): 599–654. Bibcode:1942BotRv...8..599G. doi:10.1007/BF02881046. ISSN 1874-9372. S2CID 26990263.
  2. ^ Noll, F. (1902). "Fruchtbildung ohne vorausgegangene Bestaubung (Parthenokarpie) bei der Gurke". Gesellschaft für Natur- und Heilkunde zu Bonn. 1: 149–162.