Photograph of a fruit of a small, wild geranium Erodium sp.. The geranium fruit is a schizocarp, that is, a fruit which breaks into several portions (mericarps). The one-seed mericarps appear as spear-like structures suspended from the central style - part of the old flower. Seeds are dispersed by mechanical means: stresses caused by the spirally-wound strips of fibres tear the mericarps (seeds) away from the style.