The Fruit : Formation , Examples and its Types - Practice Questions & MCQ

The Fruit

• The fruit is a characteristic feature of angiosperms (flowering plants).
• It is formed as result of fertilization when ovary ripens and converts into fruit.
• Those fruits that are formed without fertilization are called parthenocarpic fruits.
• Those fruits that develop from ovary along with the other parts of the ovary are called false fruits, e.g., tepals, (e.g., Morus), bracts (e.g., Ananas) or thalamus (e.g., Pyrus).
• The wall of the ovary becomes wall of fruit and is called pericarp.
• In fleshy fruits the pericarp is differentiated into the epicarp, middle mesocarp and inner endocarp, e.g., mango and coconut. 
• The fruit of mango and coconut is called drupe. 
• In mango, there is a clear distinction of outer epicarp (rind), fleshy mesocarp and thin papery endocarp.
• In coconut, the mesocarp is fibrous.
   

Types of Fruits:

1. Simple Fruits:  These fruits develop from the monocarpellary ovary or multicarpellary syncarpous ovary and only one fruit is formed by the gynoecium. These can be fleshy or dry.
2. Aggregate Fruits: These fruits develop from multicarpellary apocarpous ovary. Because in the apocarpous ovary, each carpel is separated from one another, therefore it forms a fruitlet. These fruits make a bunch of fruitlets which is known as etaerio. For example, strawberry, raspberry, etc.

3. Composite Fruits: All composite fruits are false fruits. This type of fruit differs from aggregate fruit that in place of single ovary many ovaries and other floral parts combine together to form fruit. In composite fruits, generally, the whole inflorescence is modified into a fruit. For example, Jackfruit, Ficus.

Table showing important fruits and their edible parts: