Fruits

Fruit = a mature ovary-

Sometimes includes accessory
parts
Classifications of Basic Fruit Types
(fruits may be)

1. Simple Fruit = from 1 pistil of one flower, or

2. Compound Fruit = from 2 or more pistils
a. Aggregate Fruit = from several pistils of one flower, or
b. Multiple Fruit = from several flowers

also

1. Dry, or
2. Fleshy

also

1. Indehiscent, or
2. Dehiscent
 Fruit types
• Dry • Fleshy
– Dehiscent – Single-seeded
– Indehiscent – Many-seeded

Pericarp = fruit wall – develops from mature ovary

3 layers of pericarp —described & used in fruit

descriptions

Exocarp – outermost layer

Mesocarp – middle layer
Endocarp – innermost layer
 Follicle

Follicle = dry, dehiscent fruit derived from one carpel,

opening along one side- usually has many seeds
Asclepias -
milkweed
follicles
 Columbine - follicles

These follicles are in a cluster

They are derived from separate carpels
Capsule = dry dehiscent fruit that
develops from more than one
carpel

Lily
Capsules open in different manners—their
descriptions as types reflect this

also called
a pyxis
 Pyxis –
a circumscissle
capsule

Lid comes
off & seeds
dispersed
Legume = dry dehiscent
fruit derived from one
carpel that opens along
both sides, e.g., pea
Legume
 Legume

A peanut is not a nut!

Silique – dry, dehiscent fruit with
two valves that separate leaving
placenta with a false
partition (septum), e.g., mustards
Silique
Capsella bursa-pastoris

Shepherd’s purse
 Money plant

A silicle – shorter than a

silique
Nut = hard, dry, indehiscent fruit usu.
with a single seed
 Achene = simple, dry, one-seeded,
indehiscent fruit; seed attached to ovary
wall at a single point, e.g., sunflower seeds
SCHIZOCARP = indehiscent fruit
that separates or splits into two
or more one-seeded fruits

e.g., maple samara (winged)

Each mericarp is like an achene
Caryopsis = dry, indehiscent, one-seeded
fruit with seed coat fused to pericarp, e.g.,
grains, corn
 Drupe = simple fleshy
fruit usu. derived from one
carpel and usually
one-seeded, center of fruit
is a “stone” = endocarp
e.g., cherry peach
peach, apricot, plum, olive

apricot
Tomato - berry

Berry – fleshy fruit with one or

more carpels & several to many
seeds, texture homogenous
e.g., tomato, pepper, kiwi,
grape
Berries
 Berry

A leathery skinned berry with many seeds

each surrounded by a juicy, fleshy aril.
 Pepo

e.g., cucumber, pumpkin, squash, etc.

 Pome
• Fleshy, indehiscent fruit with the outer
portion derived from flora parts that
surround the ovary and expand with
the growing fruit, cartilaginous carpels
• E.g., apple, pear
• These are derived from inferior ovaries
& fleshy hypanthium
• Look for the sepals at the top
 Hesperidium

Fleshy fruit, from

single pistil,
indehiscent, with
heterogeneous
texture, and a
firm, hard, or
leathery rind, w/
several – many septa
Hesperidium
 Red, fleshy
seed
integument

Magnolia
 Raspberry

Aggregate fruit = fruit developing from

separate pistils in a single flower
Aggregate fruit
 Strawberry

achenes

Accessory fruit -- contains extra parts other

than pericarp alone, e.g., here a gynoecium
with many free simple carpels, ea. an achene
the receptacle enlarges-receptacle not part of gynoecium
 Multiple fruit
• Fruit formed from several separate
flowers, e.g., from the inflorescence,
the combined gynoecia of many
flowers
• E.g., pineapple, noni, fig

• Fig – specialized fruit called a

syconium= individual achenes are
borne on the inside of a hollowed-out
receptacle or peduncle
 Fig

Jackfruit

Multiple fruits
Pineapple

Multiple fruit
Noni

Multiple fruits
 Multiple fruit

Ginger
 Fruit Key
Fruits simple, the product of a single pistil
Fleshy and usually indehiscent
Texture homogeneous, fleshy throughout………………………….…………………………………….……..…Berry
Texture heterogeneous
Fruit exterior a firm, hard, or leathery rind
Septa present, several to many…………………………………….…………………………………………….Hesperidium
Septa absent…………………………………………………………………………………………………….……Pepo
Fruit exterior soft
Center of fruit with a single stone which contains the seed…………………………………………………Drupe
Center of fruit with papery or cartilaginous carpels………………………………………………………..…Pome
Dry fruits
Fruit indehiscent, usually one- to two-seeded
Winged…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Samara
Wingless
Pericarp thin
Pericarp adnate to the seed………………………………………….…………………………………………..Achene
Pericarp loose and free from seed………………………………………………………………………………Nut
Fruit usually dehiscent, one- to many-seeded
Product of a unicarpellate ovary
Dehiscing by ventral suture only…………………………………….……………………………………………Follicle
Dehiscing by two longitudinal or transverse sutures
Sutures longitudinal………………………………………………………………………………………………..Legume
Sutures transverse…………………………………………………………………………………………….……Loment
Product of a bi- or multicarpellate ovary
Fruit splitting into one-seeded halves…………………………………………………………………………….Schizocarp
Fruit splitting and releasing seeds
Dehiscence circumscissle………………………………………………………………….………………….….Pyxis
Dehiscence longitudinal…………………………………………………………………………………………..Capsule
(Note: silicles & siliques are specialized types of capsules characteristic of Brassicaceae)

Fruits compound, the product of two or more pistils

Product of several pistils of a single gynoecium connate or coherent, usually fleshy………………………...Aggregate fruit
Product of several gynoecia aggregated in one mass………..………………………..…………………………….Multiple fruit