Follicle

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Closeup of cone of Banksia serrata, with follicles having opened to release seed

A follicle (from the Latin folliculus) is a term to describe a small spherical group of cells containing a cavity, and is often used as a descriptive term in biology, particularly in anatomy. Examples include:

• hair follicles
• ovarian follicles
• lymph follicles
• thyroid follicles

In botany, the term is used to describe a dry fruit which dehisces along one rupture site in order to release seeds, such as in larkspur, magnolia, banksia, peony and milkweed.

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