Morphological variation of achenes of Cannabis
A number of authors have suggested that fruit characters are important in the taxonomic delimitation of Cannabis, particularly in contrasting wild and domesticated plants on the one hand and plants of limited and pronounced intoxicant potential on the other. Variation in achenes was assessed in plants cultivated for fiber and for drug purposes, and in plants growing outside of cultivation in various areas of the world. It was found that domesticated plants have large achenes which usually lack an adhering, patterned perianth and also lack an elongated base. In contrast, achenes of uncultivated plants are much more variable, ranging from those which closely resemble the fruits of domesticated plants to ones which are small and possess an adhering perianth and an elongated base. It appears that the latter morphological syndrome is adaptive in wild plants, and it is hypothesized that the degree of development of these characters in uncultivated plants is indicative of the extent of departure or independence from the effects of domestication.