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Stage 1
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The floral meristem can first be distinguished (Fig. 5a)
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Stage 2
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The two sepal primordia initiate (Fig. 5a)
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Stage 3
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Initiation of the first whorl of homeotic stamens (Fig. 5b, c)
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Stage 4
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Formation of the next two to three staminal whorls (Fig. 5d, e)
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Stage 5
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Initiation of the bicarpellate gynoecium closing the floral meristem (Fig. 5f, g)
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Stage 6
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Overtopping of the two carpels around the single ovule (Fig. 5h, i)
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Stage 7
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Differentiation of the style and the stigma (Fig. 5i, k)
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Stage 8
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Medial–lateral plane differentiation in the carpel. Two valves are distinguished, each with a central midvein, separated by a persistent commissural ring-like tissue, also irrigated by two massive vascular traces (Fig. 5l–n)
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Differentiation of the proximo-distal zones including a gynophore, an ovary and a short style with two massive vascularized stigmas (Fig. 5l–n)
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Stage 9
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Anthesis. Formation of up to 12 layers in the ovary wall including both the outer and inner epidermis
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Stage 10
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Young fruits. Expansion of the valves by both anticlinal and limited periclinal cell division reaching up to 15 layers in the fruit wall (Fig. 5o, p)
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Expansion of the commissural ring outwards developing a larger central vascular bundle surrounded abaxially and adaxially by collenchyma (Fig. 5o, p)
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Stage 11
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Mature fruits. Radial elongation of the outer epidermis accompanied by tangential elongation of the hypodermal cell layers in the mesoderm (Fig. 5q–s)
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Flattening of the two inner-most cell layers in the endoderm in the periphery of the dehiscence zone where they expand and become sclerenchymatic (Fig. 5q–s)
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Formation of the dehiscence zone by 2–3 layers of smaller cells in the limits between the commissural ring and the fruit valves (Fig. 5q–s)
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Stage 12
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Opercular dehiscence, which occurs between the valves and the persistent ring-like tissue and the single seed remains attached to the base of the ring through the funicle, exposing a fleshy red aril that may be a bird attractant tissue for seed dispersal (Fig. 1c, d)
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