Fruit

All Dry Fruits

* Dehiscent Fruits - Follicle - Legume - Silique - Capsule * Indehiscent Fruits - Acheme - Nut - Grain - Samara - Schizocarp

All Simple Fleshy Fruits

- * Drupe * Berry - True Berry - Pepos - Hesperidium * Pome

All types of indehiscent fruit

- 1. Achene 2. Nuts 3. Grains 4. Samaras 5. Schizocarp

All types of dehiscent fruit

- 1. Follicle 2. Legume 3. Silique 4. Capsule

Mesocarp

Fruit region just inside the exocarp, made of fleshy tissue that may be thick or thin.

Exocarp

Fruit region that forms the skin of the fruit, Protects against insects, pathogens, excess moisture. Water always repelled by this region.

Endocarp

Innermost fruit region that surrounds the seed. Can be soft or hard.

Water dispersal

Some fruit seeds have little air pockets that allow them to float on water. They may carried downstream and dispersed at another location on shore.

General facts about fruits

- a. Some fruits consist of only one ovary and its seeds. b. Some fruits have flower parts still attached. c. Some fruits are fleshy, and some are dry. d. Some fruits split open to expose the seeds (usually dry fruits) e. Some fruits come from a single ovary, other come from multiple ovaries. f. Sometimes a fruit is developed without fertilization. This is referred to as a Parthenocarpic Fruit (EX. Banana or Pineapple). Individual flowers are fused together to form a single fruit.

Fruit

A mature ovary that usually contains seeds. This develops from certain hormones that are contained in pollen or in the developing seeds.

Dehiscent fruits

A sub-type of DRY FRUITS that split at maturity. Distinguished from one another by the way they are split.

Indehiscent Fruits

A sub-type of DRY FRUITS, that DO NOT split at maturity. The fruit, which is seed, is somehow united with the pericarp.

Achene

A type of Indehiscent fruit, where the base of the seed is attached to the pericarp. Examples: Sunflower seed.

NUT

A type of indehiscent fruit with one seed. Larger than achenes, with harder and thicker pericarps. These develop with a cup or cluster of bracts at their base. Example: Acorn, Hickory nuts, Hazel nuts.

Grains

A type of indehiscent fruit, where the pericarp is united with the seed coat and they are inseparable. Examples: Corn, Rice, Wheat, Barley, Oats.

Samara

A type of indehiscent fruit, where the pericarps extends out from the seed to form a wing. These are the little helicopters on maples, ashes and some elms.

Schizocarp

A type of indehiscent fruit, where there are twin fruits that break up into two one-sided segments. Examples: Dill, Caraway, Carrots.

Animal dispersal

Animal may eat fruit and distribute through excretion, burying seed for later consumption, then forgetting or abandoning it, or may store in a nest and eat only the outer coat allowing the seed to fall and germinate.

Dry Fruits

Major fruit TYPE whose mesocarp is definitely dry at maturity.

Simple Fleshy Fruits

Major fruit TYPE, whose mesocarp is at least partly fleshy at maturity. Ovary may develop into fruit, or other parts may combine with the ovary to form the fruit.

Aggregate Fruits

Major fruit type that comes from a single flower with many pistils. The individual pistils develop into tiny fruits/drupes, and mature as a cluster unit on a single receptacle. Examples: Raspberries, Blackberries, strawberries.

MULTIPLE FRUITS

Major fruit type that comes from many flowers in a single inflorescence. As each flower develops into fruitlets, they develop into a single aggregate fruit. Examples: Mulberries, Osage Oranges.

How fruit typically lands on soil/earth

Seed-side-down

Follicle

The splitting method of dry fruits, where a follicle is split along only one side of a seam, exposing the seed. Example: Milkweed

Capsule

The splitting method of dry fruits, where the split takes place in various ways, Could be in threes, fours, sixes. Found Mostly on ornamental plants. Examples: Irises, Crape Myrtles.

Legume

The splitting method of dry fruits, where the split takes place on two sides to expose the seed. Examples: Peas, Lentils, Beans, Peanuts (Peanuts mature underground).

Silique

The splitting method of dry fruits, where the split takes place on two sides. However, the seeds are born on a central portion and remain attached to the central portion, not to one of the sides of the pod. Examples: Broccoli, radishes, cabbage.

Fruit Dispersal

The ways the fruits are moved from one place to another

Berry

This sub-type of Simple Fleshy Fruit almost always contains more than one seed. Develops from a compound ovary, with more than one ovule. The entire pericarp is fleshy, so it's hard to differentiate between regions.

Drupe

This sub-type of Simple Fleshy fruit grows on almost all fruit-bearing trees and shrubs. It has a single seed enclosed by a hard, stony endocarp (sometimes called a 'pit'). Develops fruit from a single superior ovary containing a single ovule. Mesocarp is not always fleshy. Examples: Peaches, apricots, cherries, coconuts, plums, olives, almonds, pistachios, walnuts and pecans.

Pome

This sub-type of simple fleshy fruit has flesh that comes from the enlarged receptacle that grows around the ovary. The endocarp is more leathery. There are usually visible flower parts.

Hesperidium

This type of berry has a leathery skin, containing oils. Skin develops from inner lining of the ovary wall, which becomes sack-like and swollen with juices. Examples: Lemons, Limes, oranges, grapefruits.

Pepos

This type of berry has a thick rind. Examples: Pumpkin, cucumbers, watermelon, squash, cantaloupes.

True Berry

This type of berry is a fruit with a thin skin and pericarp that is soft at maturity. Most contain more than one seed. Examples: Tomatoes, grapes, persimmons, peppers, eggplants, avocados and dates.

Wind dispersal

When fruit is blown off the plant and lands on the earth. If it lands seed-side-down, it can take root.