Exocarp (source code)
= Exocarp
The <exocarp> is the outermost region of the <pericarp>. It forms the external covering of the <fruit> wall, outside the <mesocarp> and <endocarp>. The skin of a <peach> illustrates the term.<Glossary of Botanical Terms by PlantNET>[D–E entries, exocarp: outer layer of the fruit wall]{ref}
The <exocarp> belongs to the <fruit>, whereas the <seed coat> belongs to the enclosed <seed>. They may both act as protective coverings, but function alone does not make them the same structure. In a <caryopsis> their close attachment can conceal the distinction; tracing their origins to <ovary (botany)> and <ovule> respectively preserves it.
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