KEY to FRUIT TYPES 1a. Fruit derived from several ovaries of one or more flowers 2a.

Fruit arising from the several ovaries of as many flowers (examples: pineapple, mulberry) MULTIPLE FRUIT

2b.

Fruit arising from the coalescence of several ripened ovaries of one flower (example: raspberry, blackberry) AGGREGATE FRUIT

1b. Fruit derived from a single ovary (simple or compound) 3a. Fruit fleshy or juicy when ripe 4a. Ovary wall of fruit (or pericarp) entirely or in part fleshy 5a. Fruit indehiscent 6a. Ovary wall entirely fleshy (examples: tomato, cranberry, grape, currant, banana, melon [pepo], and citrus fruit [hesperidium]) BERRY

6b. Ovary wall of three distinct layers, the inner one bony (endocarp), the middle fleshy (mesocarp), and the outer "skin- like" (exocarp) (examples: peach, plum, cherry) DRUPE

5b. Fruit dehiscent 7a. Fruit derived from one carpel 7b. Fruit derived from a compound gynoecium FOLLICLE CAPSULE

4b. Ovary wall (e.g., the outer layer of an apple 'core') of fruit papery, surrounded by a fleshy material that represents the coalescent parts of the stamens, petals, sepals, and (some believe) receptacle (examples: apple, pear, quince) POME

3b. Fruit typically dry and usually hardened when ripe 8a. Fruit indehiscent (does not open or dehisce when mature), generally with one seed 9a. Ovary wall of varying thickness, usually not bony 10a. Fruit not winged (examples: buttercup, 'seeds' of strawberry, sunflower family, sedges, grasses [ovary wall adherent to and surrounding seed, may be called caryopsis or grain]) ACHENE 10b. Fruit winged (examples: elm, tulip tree) SAMARA

9b.

Ovary wall hardened and bony 11a. Fruit usually > 5mm long (examples: oak, chestnut, hazelnut) NUT 11b. Fruit small, usually < 5mm long (examples: borage and mint families [Boraginaceae and Lamiaceae] NUTLET

8b. Fruit dehiscent (opens or dehisces when mature, usually along certain definite lines or sutures), with one or more seeds 12a. 13a. Fruit derived from a single carpel Fruit dehiscing along one side (examples: columbine, larkspur, magnolia, milkweed) FOLLICLE 13b. Fruit dehiscing along two sides or breaking crosswise into oneseeded segments 14a. Fruit dehiscing along two sides (example: only the legume family [Fabaceae or Leguminosae]) LEGUME

14b. Fruit breaking into one-seeded segments (example: only the legume family [Fabaceae or Leguminosae]) LOMENT

12b.

Fruit derived from a compound gynoecium of two or more carpels (types of capsules) 15a. Fruit always 2-carpellate, two-celled, and with parietal placentation Fruit > 2-3 times longer than wide (example: only the mustard family [Brassicaceae or Cruciferae]) SILIQUE

16a.

16b.

Fruit <2-3 times longer than wide (example: only the mustard family [Brassicaceae or Cruciferae]) SILICLE

15b.

Fruit 2 or more carpellate, one or more celled, and with various types of placentation. CAPSULE

17a.

Fruit dehiscing by pores (poricidal dehiscence; example: poppy) PORICIDAL CAPSULE

17b.

Fruit dehiscing along the septa or into the locules or by a lid. Fruit dehiscing by a lid (examples: Portulacaceae and some Caryophyllaceae) CIRCUMSCISSILE CAPSULE

18a.

18b.

Fruit dehiscing directly into the locules or along the septa. 19a. Fruit dehiscing directly into the locules (examples: iris, phlox, pyrola, violet, waterleaf) LOCULICIDAL CAPSULE

19b.

Fruit dehiscing along the septa

20a. Fruit dehiscing to form 1-seeded segments called mericarps (examples: carrot, maple, spurge) SCHIZOCARPOUS CAPSULE or SCHIZOCARP

20b.

Fruit dehiscing to form several-seeded segments (examples: peppers, figwort, rhododendron)) SEPTICIDAL CAPSULE