The following points highlight the three main types of fruits. The types are: 1. Simple Fruits 2. Aggregate Fruits 3. Multiple Fruits.
Fruit of a Plant: Type # 1. Simple Fruits:
These may be dry, which may again be indehiscent, dehiscent or schizocarpic; or fleshy which are generally indehiscent.
(A) Dry Simple Fruits:
(a) Dry and Indehiscent Simple Fruits (Fig. 89):
1. Achene:
It develops from monocarpellary, superior ovary. Wall of the single seed is free from the hard pericarp or wall of the fruit, e.g., Boerhaavia, Mirabilis.
2. Utricle:
It is an achene with thin, loose, bladder like pericarp, e.g., Chenopodium album.
3. Caryopsis:
It develops from monocarpellary ovary in which the pericarp is inseparably fused with testa, e.g., Triticum, Zea, etc.
4. Cypsella:
Dry, one – chambered, one-seeded fruit derived from bicarpellary or polycarpellary, syncarpous, inferior ovary having basal placentation. Testa and pericarp are free in cypsella, e.g., Launea, Helianthus, etc.
5. Simple Samara:
When fruit wall of the bicarpellary syncarpous ovary is winged e.g., Elm.
6. Nut:
When fruit wall is hard and bony of one – chambered, one – seeded fruit developing from bicarpellary to polycarpellary, superior ovary, e.g., Trapa, Anacardium, etc.
(b) Dry and Dehiscent Simple Fruits (Fig. 90):
1. Follicle:
It is derived from a monocarpellary, superior ovary and dehisces only along one suture, e.g., Delphinium.
2. Legume:
It develops from monocarpellary, superior ovary with marginal placentation. It dehisces along both the dorsal and ventral sutures, e.g., Pisum, Lathyrus, etc.
3. Siliqua:
It develops from bicarpellary, syncarpous gynoecium with parietal placentation and a false septum. It is long, narrow, multiseeded fruit which dehisces from below upward by both the sutures, e.g., members of Cruciferae like Brassica.
4. Silicula:
It is a broad, flat and shortened form of siliqua, e.g., Iberis, Alyssum, etc.
5. Capsule:
It develops from bi-, tri- or multicarpellary superior or inferior ovary. It may dehisce either longitudinally, transversely or by the formation of pores, e.g., Hibiscus, Gossypium, Amaranthus, etc.
(c) Dry and Schizocarpic Simple Fruits (Fig. 91):
1. Cremocarp:
It develops from bicarpellary, syncarpous bilocular, inferior ovary with one ovule in each locule. The fruit dehisces from two indehiscent, single-seeded mericarps which remain attached with carpophore, e.g., Apiaceae.
2. Cacervulus:
It develops from bi- to multicarpellay syncarpous, superior ovary with many locules, each having one or more ovules on axile placentation. It is characteristic of Labiatae.
3. Regma:
It develops from tricarpellary, syncarpous, superior, trilocular ovary, and bears many spinous tubercles. It splits into many parts called cocci, i.e., Ricinus.
4. Lomentum:
It develops from monocarpellary, superior ovary with marginal placentation, like legume, but dehiscing sutures are transverse. At maturity the fruit is broken up into many one- seeded segments, e.g., Acacia, A rachis hypogaea, etc.
5. Samara:
It develops from bi- to tricarpellary, syncarpous, superior ovary having single ovule in each locule. Fruit bears wings and breaks up into two or three one – seeded mericarps, e.g., Dodonaea, Acer etc.
(B) Simple Fleshy Fruits:
1. Berry:
It is indehiscent, many-seeded fruit with fleshy and edible endocarp, e.g., tomato, watermelon, banana, etc.
2. Hesperidium:
It is a berry with hard and leathery pericarp. It develops from polycarpellary, multilocular, superior ovary, e.g., oranges, lemon etc.
3. Pepo:
It is similar to berry in being fleshy and multiseeded but it develops from a tricarpellary, syncarpous, inferior ovary with parietal placentation, e.g., Cucurbitaceae.
4. Drupe:
Fruit with thin inedible epicarp, fleshy edible mesocarp and stony endocarp, e.g., mango. Sometimes the mesocarp is fibrous as in coconut or dry as in almond.
5. Pome:
This is a pseudocarp or false fruit which has developed from the receptacle and not from the ovary, e.g., apple.
Fruit of a Plant: Type # 2. Aggregate Fruits:
1. Etaerio of Achenes:
It is an aggregation of simple fruitlets of achenes, e.g., Ranunculus, Clematis.
2. Etaerio of Follicles:
It is an aggregation of simple fruitlets of follicles, e.g., Delphinium.
3. Etaerio of Drupes:
It is an aggregation of simple fruitlets of drupes, e.g., Rubus.
4. Etaerio of Berries:
It is an aggregation of simple fruitlets of berries, e.g., Artabotrys.
Fruit of a Plant: Type # 3. Multiple Fruits:
1. Sorosis:
A multiple fruit developing from spike, spadix or catkin. Perianth of flowers become fleshy. Sometimes peduncle becomes edible and fleshy, e.g., Pineapple.
2. Syconus:
It develops from hypanthodium inflorescence. In this case the peduncle is edible, fleshy and becomes hollow, e.g., fig, banyan, peepal, etc.
