Fruits

A fruit is properly defined as a dry or fleshy case developing from the wall of an ovary and surrounding the seeds.  But the term is often used to describe the whole complex structure such as a rose hip or an apple, which is constructed of associated parts of the flower including the receptacle.  The receptacle is the tip of the flower stalk to which the floral parts are attached and it may be dome shaped, conical, flat or cup shaped.

Succulent fruits are of two main types: The TRUE succulent fruits which are formed only from the ovary and the FALSE succulent fruits which are formed by other parts of the flower……Still with me….


Fruits are then divided into Fleshy Fruits, and Dry Fruits.

FLESHY
Fleshy Fruits can be subdivided again into those formed from a single flower and those formed from a group of flowers. They can have one seed or several seeds in.
They are  formed from a single flower are classified as: Berry, Drupe, Aggregation of Drupes, Pome, Hesperidium. Some authorities also give these separate status: Hep, Pseudocarp, Pepo.The  Fruits which grow from a group of flowers are: Sorosis, Synconium, Coenocarpium.

DRY
Dry Fruits can be divided into those in which the seeds are contained in a seedpod of some sort which opens to release the seeds (called Dehiscent), and those in which there isn't a seedpod which opens (Indehiscent).

Dry Dehiscent Fruits are Follicle, Legume, Silique, Capsule. Some authorities separate these further.

Dry Indehiscent Fruits are: Achene, Nut, Samara, Caryopsis. Some people sub-divide some of these further. There are also Schizocarpic Fruits.

Knowing the type of fruit a plant has might help you to identify it, and might also help you to know when the seeds are ready to harvest.

FLESHY FRUITS - formed from a single flower

Berry
A Berry is a single fleshy fruit without a stone, usually containing a number of seeds.
Examples are: Kiwi Fruit (Actinidia chinensis) Banana (Musa), Coffee (Coffea arabica), Currant (Ribes), Pasionfruit (Passiflora), Pepper (Capsicum), Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentus).
        
Drupe
A Drupe is a single fleshy fruit with a hard stone which contains the single seed.
Examples are:  Cherry (Prunus avium) Apricot (Prunus armeniaca), Plum (Prunus x domestica), Coconut (Cocos nucifera), Olive (Olea europaea), Peach (Prunus persica), Sloe (Prunus spinosa).
        
Aggregation of Drupes
An Aggregation of Drupes is a fleshy fruit, made up of many drupes but formed from a single flower, each drupe containing one seed.

Examples are:  Raspberry (Rubus idaeus) Loganberry (Rubus), Blackberry (Rubus fruticosus).
       
Pome
A Pome is a fleshy fruit with a thin skin, not formed from the ovary but from another part of the plant. These are sometimes called Accessory Fruits. The seeds are contained in chambers in the centre of the fruit.

Examples are : Apple (Malus domestica) Firethorn (Pyracantha), Hawthorn (Crataegus), Medlar (Mespilus germanica), Pear (Pyrus communis), Quince (Cydonia oblonga).
        
Hesperidium
A Hesperidium is a berry with a tough, aromatic rind.

Examples are : Orange (Citrus sinensis) Citron (Citrus medica), Grapefruit (Citrus x paradisi), Kumquat (Fortunella), Lemon (Citrus limon), Lime (Citrus aurantifolia).


There are other types of fleshy fruit which some people classify separately. A Hep or Hip is a fleshy fruit containing achenes, as in the Rose (Rosa); a Pepo is a fleshy fruit with a leathery skin, formed from an inferior ovary. This type of fruit is found only in members of the Gourd Family (Cucurbitaceae) - Cucumbers (Cucumis melo), Water Melon (Citrullus lanatus), Pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima), and Pseudocarp.

        
Pseudocarp
A Pseudocarp is a false fruit, because it does not contain the seeds. The seeds are achenes, on the outside of a fleshy fruit.

Example is: Strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa).

FLESHY FRUITS -  formed from a group of flowers.

There are a few fruits formed from a group of flowers (inflorescence) rather than just one, but which form only one fruit. These are Sorosis, as in the Mulberry (Morus), Syngonium, as in the Fig (Ficus), and Coenocarpium, as in the Pineapple (Ananas).


DRY DEHISCENT FRUITS

Follicle
A Follicle is a dry dehiscent fruit which splits on one side only. It may contain one or many seeds.

This is the fruit of a Columbine (Aquilegia) Delphinium (Delphinium), Larkspur (Consolida), Love in a Mist (Nigella damascena), Milkweed (Asclepias), Peony (Paeonia).

Legume
A Legume is a dry dehiscent pod that splits on two sides.

Examples are :  Sweet Pea (Lathyrus odoratus) and more Pea Family (Leguminosae/Fabaceae): Acacia (Acacia), Alfalfa (Medicago sativa), Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Flamboyant (Delonix regia), Pea (Pisum sativa), Peanut (Arachis hypogaea), Redbud (Cercis occidentalis), Runner Bean (Phaseolus coccineus), Wisteria (Wisteria).

Lomentum
A Lomentum is a dry dehiscent fruit, a legume constricted between the seeds.

Examples are:  Golden Chain Tree (Laburnum anagyroides) Sophora (Sophora), Tick Trefoil (Desmodium).
        
Silique
A Silique is a dry dehiscent fruit. It is long and thin, splits down the two long sides, and has a papery membrane (the septum) between the two halves.

Examples are :  Wallflower (Erysimum cheiri). Other members of the Cabbage Family (Brassicaceae): Aubrieta (Aubrieta x cultorum), Cabbage (Brassica olearacea), Honesty (Lunaria annua), Radish (Raphanus sativus).

A silique which is less than twice as long as broad is called a Silicula.

Capsule
A Capsule is the most common fruit type. A Capsule is a dry fruit which splits open to release the seeds.

These plants all have fruit capsules: Cotton (Gossypium), Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus), Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum), Jimson Weed (Datura), Mahogany (Afzelia), Witch Hazel (Hamamelis).

There are several types of Capsule, depending on how the fruit splits.
        
Valvate Capsule

A Valvate Capsule is a dry dehiscent fruit in which the tips of the seed capsule split.

Examples are:  Campion (Silene). Other fruits of this type are: Jacob's Ladder (Polemonium), Pink (Dianthus), Primrose (Primula).

Porose Capsule
A Porose Capsule is a dry dehiscent fruit, opening with pores or holes around the top.

Examples:  Poppy (Papaver) Blue Poppy (Meconopsis), Prickly Poppy (Argemone).

Loculicidal Capsule
A Loculicidal Capsule is a dry dehiscent fruit, splitting along the locule (midrib of each ovary).

Examples:   Stinking Gladwyn (Iris foetidissima) Evening Primrose (Oenothera), Valotta (Cyrtanthus elatus), and members of the Violet and Lily Families.

Circumscissile Capsule
A Circumscissile Capsule is a dry dehiscent fruit, opening by splitting through the centre of the fruit, so that the top of the capsule lifts off like a lid. An example of this type of fruit is Pimpernel (Anagallis)

A Septicidal Capsule splits along the septa (joints of the ovary) as in the Foxglove (Digitalis).

DRY INDEHISCENT FRUITS

Achene
An Achene is a single-seeded dry indehiscent fruit in which the seedcoat is not part of the fruit coat.
Examples are:  Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)  Buttercup (Ranunculus), Clematis (Clematis), Coreopsis (Coreopsis), Dahlia (Dahlia), English Marigold (Calendula), Zinnia (Zinnia).
        
Cypsela
A Cypsela is a single-seeded dry indehiscent fruit that develops from a one part inferior ovary (on the stalk side of the flower). They are sometimes included with Achenes.
Examples are:   Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale). Other fruits of this type are found in the same plant family, the Daisy Family (Asteraceae).
        
Nut
A Nut is a large single hardened achene.

Examples are: Chestnut (Castanea sativa). Other fruits of this type are: Acorn (Quercus), Hazel (Corylus avellana), Hickory (Carya).
        
Nutlet
This is not a classification that seems to be recognised everywhere, but the Mint Family (Lamiaceae) is a very large plant family, and has a particular type of seed which is not quite any of the normal ones.The fruits of this family are single-seeded achene-like nutlets, which are held at the bottom of the calyx.

Examples are the fruit of a Salvia (Salvia). All members of the Mint Family (Lamiaceae) have this type of fruit.
        
Caryopsis
A Caryopsis is a simple dry indehiscent fruit, like an achene, but with the seedcoat fused with the fruit coat.

Examples:   Sweetcorn (Zea). Other fruits of this type are all members of the Grass Family (Poaceae): Barley (Hordeum), Oats (Avena), Rice (Oryza), Rye (Secale), Wheat (Triticum).
        
Samara
A Samara is an independent dry indehiscent fruit which has part of the fruit wall extended to form a wing (i.e. not a winged seed inside another type of seed pod).

Examples:   Maple (Acer). This is a Schizocarpic Samara, because the fruit splits into its separate Samaras. Other fruits of this type are: Ash (Fraxinus) - also Schizocarpic, Elm (Ulmus).

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