Fruit Types
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There are no definitive systems for categorizing all the different fruit types.
Even the definition of what constitutes a true fruit is not universal. The classic
definition of a fruit is as a ripened ovary restricting it to Angiosperms and
including only ovary tissue. In our case, we will consider a fruit as the tissue
that encloses the sexual reproductive units (seeds). One way to describe and
categorize fruits is listed below.
Three basic fruit types
Fruits including non-ovary tissue
Simple fruits – A fruit derived from
a single flower and a single ovary.
Multiple fruits - A fruit derived
from a single flower and multiple,
non-united ovaries.
Accessory fruits - A fruit that
include additional tissues not derived
from the ovary. These tissues are
usually floral or receptacle tissue
attached to simple, aggregate or
multiple fruits.
Compound fruits - A fruit from an
inflorescence (more that one flower).
Gymnosperms – “naked seeds” without
ovaries.
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Fruit Types
Simple Fruit Menu
A simple fruit is derived from a single flower and a single ovary either from a
single carpel or an ovary from multiple, united carpels. Simple fruits can be
divided into whether they are dry or fleshy at maturity. Dry simple fruits can be
further separated based on whether they dehisce (split open) at maturity.
Dry fruit types
Dehiscent fruits
Indehiscent fruits
Achene
Samara
Capsule
Follicle
Nut
Utricle
Silique
Schizocarp
Legume
Caryopsis
Fleshy fruit types
Berry
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Drupe
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more information.
Pome
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