BIO 1130 OUTLINE WEEK 11

Fruits
Fruit
 ripened ovary which contains the seed and usually results after pollination and
subsequent fertilization
 In angiosperms, the structure that forms from carpels and associated tissues after
fertilization
 Highly modified ovaries
Fruits vs. Vegetables
 A fruit is a seed-bearing structure that develops from the ovary of a flowering plant
 Vegetables are all other plant parts, such as roots, leaves, and stems; usually cooked
and not necessarily from the ovary; not a botanical term
Importance of fruits
Plants
Protection
 Protect the seed/s as a physical barrier on the external environment during seed
development
Seed dispersal
 Serve as a diaspore as they carry the seeds inside and transport to other locations to
grow
Man

Health benefits
 Provide nutrients vital; for health and maintenance on the body
 Food and nutrition
 Propagating the plant species

Fruit development

 Development varies with the nature of the carpels as well as the nature of the mature
fruit
 Matures from ovary
 Fertilization
 Flower parts wither away
 Ovary develops to a fruit

Parthenocarpy

 development of a fruit without prior fertilization

 makes the fruit seedless
 example: pineapple, banana, cucumber, grape, orange, grapefruit,
 persimmon, and breadfruit

 virgin fruit
 genetic defect or manipulation
 sterile
  Hormone induced
o Auxin, gibberellin, cytokinin

difference with apomixis

produce seeds without fertilization

Pericarp – entire fruit wall that is composed of one, two or all three layers
Exocarp – outer layer; skin or peel
Mesocarp – middle layer; flesh
Endocarp – innermost layer; tough or thin

Fruit types
Simple
 develop from one carpel or from several fused carpels of a single mature ovary
 most common
Fleshy
 Eaten during the natural seed distribution animals
Berry
 the endocarp is fleshy or slimy, the ovary usually many seeded
 all three layers are soft
 banana, grapes, kiwi, guava, tomato
Pome
 the flesh is derived from the torus or receptacle tissue
 endocarp leathery
 pear, apples
Drupe
 the endocarp is hard and stony; the fruit is single seeded
 schlerenchymatous
 coconut, mango

Pepo
 a special type of berry, the hand rind does not contain oils and consists of
receptacle tissue fused with the ovary wall
 exocarp is tough
 inner tissues may not be differentiated
 squash, pumpkin, cucumber
Hesperidium
 a special type of berry, the outer layer or rind leathery containing oils
 Exocarp is leathery
 Pomelo, lemon, limes, oranges

Dry
 dry pericarp are further classified as to whether the pericarp splits open at maturity
(dehiscent) or not (indehiscent)
 not eaten by natural seed- distributing animals
Dehiscent
 Break open and release seeds
Legume
 the split occurs along two seams, the seeds are borne on one of the halves of the
split ovary
 Split in both sides
 Peas and peanuts
Follicle
 seed released through longitudinal seams; the split occurs along only one seam
in the ovary
 Split on one side
 Milkweed
Capsule
 the seeds are released through pores or multiple seams
 open in many ways
 cotton
Silique
 the split occurs along two seams but the seeds are borne on a partition between
halves of the ovary

Indehiscent
 Do not break open and release the seeds
Caryopsis
 the pericarp is also soft and thin, without a cup; ovaries occur singly, pericarp is
not winged; the single seed is fully fused to the pericarp
 simple and small: one seed
 seed coat becomes fused to the fruit wall at maturation
 rice and corn
Achene
 the pericarp is also soft and thin, without a cup; ovaries occur singly, the pericarp
is not winged; the single seed is attached to the pericarp only at its base
 fruit and seed remain distinct
 derived from superior ovary
 sunflower
Cypsela
 a dry single-seeded fruit formed from a double ovary of which only one develops
into a seed (daisy family)
 achene like
 derived from an inferior ovary
 dandelion
Utricles
 pericarp that is loose and fragile
 small, bladderlike, thin-walled fruit
 rarely seen
 characteristic fruit of the duckweed family Lennoaceae
 Samara
 the pericarp is also soft and thin, without a cup; the ovaries occur singly and is
one or two seeded; pericarp is winged
 maple, narra
 dispersal of seeds
Nut (multiple carpels)
 the pericarp is hard, with a cup at its base
 Hard at maturity
 Wall nut, acorn
Schizocarp (multiple carpels)
 the pericarp is soft and thin, without a cup; the ovaries are often together in pairs
 compound ovary that breaks into individual carpels (mericarps)
 fruits of carrots (Daucus carota-wild carrot)

Compound
 developed from several ovaries or pistils
Aggregate
 originate from one flower that has many separate carpels
 each carpel becomes a tiny fruit that is gathered or aggregated with other similar
tiny “fruitlets” on a single receptacle
 separate carpels of one gynoecium fuse during development
 Strawberry

Multiple
 develop from the
carpels of more
than one flower in
a single
inflorescence.

The curious case of the

strawberry
 Accessory fruit;
aggregate
 Develop largely
from tissues other
than the ovary
 Red edible part is
the receptacle
 Achene
 Seeds embedded on the fleshy receptacle

Pears and apples – accessory fruit