Describing seeds or pollen that lack a nucleus or viable genetic material.
From Greek 'a-' (without) + 'pyrene' (fruit stone or nucleus). Originally used in botany to describe seedless fruits and non-viable reproductive cells.
Seedless watermelons and grapes are apyrene cultivars—farmers breed plants to skip the annoying pits by making them genetically sterile! This ancient technique has fed billions but raises interesting questions about what 'natural' fruit even means.
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