What are fruits?
The seed bearing structure in flowering plants or angiosperms formed from the ovary after flowering is called a fruit. They are fleshy structures associated with seeds. Fruits can be sweet or sour to taste. They are edible in raw state. There are different types of fruits such as apple, banana, guava, mango, grapes and others. Some fruits are available throughout the year (Example: Banana) and others are found in respective seasons (Example: Mango is available during summer). However, it must be noted, that in botany the term fruit includes several structures which are not commonly known as fruits. Some of them are tomatoes, wheat grains, corn kernels and bean pods. The section of a fungus which produces spores is also known as a fruiting body.
Difference between botanical and culinary fruits
In botany, any ripened ovary or carpel which contains seeds is called fruit. Here, nut is considered as a type of fruit. It is not a seed. Ripened ovule is a seed. Whereas, in culinary terminology, any sweet tasting plant part is said to be a fruit.
Classification of fruits
Fruits can be classified as simple, multiple, and accessory.
What is a simple fruit?
Simple fruits can be dry or fleshy in nature. They are produced from the ripening of a simple or compound ovary in a flower containing one pistil. There are two kinds of dry fruits. They are dehiscent and indehiscent. The difference between these fruits is that, the former open to discharge seeds and the latter do not. Epigynous berries, cranberries and blueberries are few examples of simple fruits.
What is a multiple fruit?
Multiple fruits are formed from clusters of flowers known as inflorescences. Few examples of multiple fruits are osage-orange, pineapple, mulberry, fig, and breadfruit.
What is a accessory fruit?
Accessory fruits could be simple, aggregate, or multiple in nature. They may include more than one pistil and other parts from the same flower, or of many flowers.
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