FRUITS

The fruit is a fertilized or ripened or mature ovary. A fruit consists of 2parts; fruit wall and seed.

Fruit wall: The wall of the ovary, which later develops into wall of the fruit,is called pericarp. It may remain soft and fleshy or become hard and dry. It ispossible to distinguish it into 3 layers;

a. Outer layer or Epicarp

b. Middle layer or Mesocarp

c. Inner layer or Endocarp

Seed: These are transformed ovules. A fruit may contain one to many seeds.

When fruit develops from an ovary, it is called a true fruit. When it developsfrom any part of the flower other than ovary, it is called a false fruit orpseudocarp or spurious fruit.

FRUITS

SIMPLE

FLESHY

BERRY

DRUPE

POME

HESPERIDIUM

PEPO

DRY

DRY DEHISCENT

LEGUME

FOLLICLE

SILIQUA

CAPSULE

DRY INDEHISCENT

ACHENE

CYPSELA

CARYOPSIS

SAMARA

CREMOCARP

NUT

REGMA

AGGREGATE

ETAEIRIO OF FOLLICLES

ETAERIO OF ACHENE

ETAERIO OF BERRIES

ETAERIO OF DRUPES

COMPOSITE

SOROSIS

SYCONUS

CLASSIFICATION OF FRUITS

1.Simple Fruits: The fruit that is developed from one carpel

(monocarpellary pistil) or from several united carpels

(syncarpous pistil) is called simple fruit. There are 2 main

types; fleshy fruits and dry fruits.

A. Fleshy or Succulent fruits: These are soft, brightly colored

fruits.

Berry or Bacca: It is a pulpy, many seeded fruit developingeither from a single carpel or from a syncarpous pistil withaxile or parietal placentation in which the epicarp forms theskin of the fruit. Generally only the mesocarp, but sometimesthe endocarp as well forms the main mass (flesh) of the fruit inwhich the seeds are embedded. Ex: Tomato, Papaya, Grapes,Sapota, Dates, Banana etc.

Drupe: It is also called stone fruit. It generally develops from amonocarpellary or syncarpous pistil. Here, the pericarp isclearly differentiated into 3 distinct layers. There is generallyone seed, and the endocarp is hard, stony and is closelyadhered to the seed. Ex: Mango, Cherry, Peach, Coconut(mesocarp is fibrous) etc.

Epicarp

Mesocarp

Endosperm

Endocarp

Endosperm

Central cavity

Drupe in Cocos

Pome: A pome is highly specialized fleshy fruit represented byapple. It is derived from an inferior syncarpous ovary withaxile placentation. The fruit is developed out of the enlargedthalamus. The skin of the fruit is not epicarp; neither the fleshyportion is the mesocarp. The real fruit lies within the chamberswhich we see when we cut an apple hence the pome is knownas false fruit.

Hesperidium: This fruit develops from a syncarpous pistil withaxile placentation. The epicarp is here leathery and has oil glands.The mesocarp is white and papery. The two are fused together toform a loose or tight rind or skin. The endocarp is partitioned andthe inner walls of these chambers produce juicy and fleshyplacental hairs. These constitute the edible part. The seeds areenclosed with in the partitions. Ex: Lemon, Orange and otherCitrus spp.

Pepo: It is a many seeded pulpy fruit which develops from aninferior ovary with parietal placentation and is represented bythe cucumber, pumpkin and melon. The skin of the pepo isformed out of epicarp and the wall of the thalamus called rind.The pulp is formed out of mesocarp, endocarp and swollenplacenta bearing the seeds. It is the characteristic fruit of themembers of the family Cucurbitaceae.

B. Dry fruits: These are more or less hard and dry. The simpledry fruits are classified into two classes - dry dehiscent and dryindehiscent. In dehiscent fruits the pericarp breaks openreleasing the seeds, but in indehiscent fruits the seeds remainin the fruit after the fruit is shed from the parent plant. Thereare several types of dehiscent and indehiscent fruits.

Legume/ Pod: This is thecharacteristic fruit of the Pea family(Leguminosae). It is formed out ofmonocarpellary, unilocular, superiorovary. Hence it is a one chamberedfruit. Its dry wall splits along bothsides and gets twisted in oppositedirections. In this process the seedsget ejected (dispersed) to a longdistance.

Dry dehiscent fruits

Siliqua/Silique: It is characteristic ofthe mustard family Cruciferae(Brassicaceae). It develops from abicarpellary syncarpous pistil. Atmaturity the fruit splits into twohalves, leaving the seeds attached toa persistent central portion, the falseseptum called replum. Dehiscencestarts from the base and proceedsupward.

Follicle: It is derived form a monocarpellary pistil. The fruitwall splits down only on one side (suture) at maturity as inCatharanthus and Calotropis. The follicles usually occur inpairs (or more than two in group).

A pair of Follicles in Calotropis

Capsule: This is the most common type of dry dehiscent fruit

developed from a syncarpous superior (or inferior) ovary.

Capsules shed their seeds in different ways; in some the capsule

may split longitudinally and in other the seeds may be released

through holes near the top of the capsule. Ex: Hibiscus, Okra,

Cotton (all of the family Malvaceae), Datura etc

Capsule in Okra

Achene: It is a small one chambered, single seeded fruitdeveloping from a superior (or inferior) monocarpellary ovaryin which the seed lies free, i.e. the pericarp is not close to theseed coat. Simple achenes occur only is a few plants such asthe four o’clock (Mirabilis), Sunflower etc.

Dry dehiscent fruits

Achene in Sunflower Achene in Mirabilis

Cypsela: It develops from an inferior ovary which is usuallybicarpellary and syncarpous. The fruit is one chambered andone seeded the pericarp is free from the seed coat. The calyxhere is persistant and is modified to form hair like structurecalled pappus. It helps in seed dispersal (parachutemechanism) Ex: Members of Compositae; Tridax, Taraxacum(Dandelion) etc.

Cypsela in Dandelion

Caryopsis: It is also called the grain. Paddy, maize and wheat areexamples. They are all one seeded fruits. Developing from amonocarpellary superior ovary. Here, the fruit wall (pericarp) isfused with the seed coat. It is the characteristic fruit of themembers of the family Gramineae.

Nut: In this single-seeded indehiscent and dry fruit, the fruitwall is hard, woody or rarely leathery. In Cashewnut(Anacardium occidentale), the kidney-shaped fruit (formedfrom monocarpellary superior ovary) lies above a fleshythalamus. Some other examples for nut are Litchi, Rambutanetc.

Nut in Cashew

Samara: It is an achenial fruit where the pericarp is produced into

flattened wing – like expansions. Hence samara is also called

winged fruit.

Samara in Acer (Red maple)

Schizocarp (Gk: schizos= divide/ split up)

The splitting or schizocarpic fruits are seen in members ofseveral families, breaks up into a number of one seeded (ormany seeded) pieces, each piece is called a coccus ormericarp. The contained seed is not released until the wall ofmericarp degenerates. The fruits are thus, somewhatintermediate between the true dehiscent and indehiscent fruits.

Cremocarp: It is a two-seeded fruit derived from bicarpellary,syncarpous, inferior, bilocular and uniovuled ovary. It is atypical fruit of family Umbelliferae (Apiaceae). The twomericarps split along the central axis or carpophore to whichthey remain attached. Persistent style called stylopodium ispresent e.g. Coriander, Fennel, Carom etc.

Cremocarp in Coriander

Lomentum: It is actually a modified legume that develops froma monocarpellary superior ovary. The fruit is constricted andusually breaks into single-seeded mericarps. The seeds areliberated when the fruit wall rots. A lomentum occurs amongthe members of the family Mimosoideae. (Ex: Mimosa,Acacia) and also in Cassia fistula (golden shower) andDesmodium (Indian telegraph plant) etc.

Lomentum in Mimosa

Aggregate Fruits: Aggregate fruits are actually groups offruitlets which develop from a single flower with anapocarpous pistil i.e. with free carpels. The ovary of eachcarpel develops into a fruitlet and there will be a collection offruitlets. Such a collection is called an etaerio (aggregate fruit).

The fruit may be an;

Etaerio of Follicles (Ex: Magnolia);

Etaerio of Achenes (Ex: Strawberry);

Etaerio of Berries (Ex: Custard apple),

Etaerio of Drupes (Ex: Raspberry, Blueberry etc.)

Etaerio of Follicles (Magnolia)

Etaerio of Berries (Custard Apple)

Etaerio of Achenes (Strawberry)

Multiple/ Composite Fruits: A multiple fruit is also called acomposite/ compound fruit. It develops out of a completeinflorescence. During development not only the ovary but allthe other floral parts (including bracts, perianth and thepedicle) fuse together to form a big mass. This produces themultiple fruits. These are two types; sorosis and syconus

Sorosis: It is seen in pine apple (Ananas), mulberry (Morus) and

jack fruit (Artocarpus). It develops from a spike or catkin or

spadix inflorescence respectively.

• In the jack fruit bracts, perianth and seeds become simple fruits

and form the edible portion. Stigmas fuse to form the spiny and

tough skin.

• In Ananas also the bracts and perianth form the edible parts.

The ovules remain rudimentary. There are a lot of scaly bracts

on the outer surface of the pineapple.

Sorosis of Jack

Sorosis of Mulberry Sorosis of Pineapple

Syconus: It is seen in fig and banyan. It develops from ahypanthodium inflorescence. The fruit is the enlargedreceptacle containing numerous achenes (single seeded)developed from the female flowers. It also has an openingcalled ostiole. Syconus is a characteristic feature of plantsunder the genus Ficus.