A locule ( pl.: locules) or loculus ( Latin for 'little place'; pl.: loculi) is a small cavity [1] or compartment within an organ or part of an organism ( animal, plant, or fungus).
In angiosperms ( flowering plants), the term locule usually refers to a chamber within an ovary ( gynoecium or carpel) of the flower and fruits. Depending on the number of locules in the ovary, fruits can be classified as unilocular (uni-locular), bilocular, trilocular, or multilocular. The number of locules present in a gynoecium may be equal to or less than the number of carpels. The locules contain the ovules or seeds.
The term may also refer to chambers within anthers containing pollen. [2]
In ascomycetous fungi, locules are chambers within the hymenium in which the perithecia develop. [3]