Classification of Fruits:
The fruits are classified into three main groups,
viz.,
(1) simple fruits
(2)Aggregate fruits or etaerios
(3) Multiple or composite fruits.
1) Simple Fruits:
When the ovary of a single flower with or without other accessory floral parts develops into a single fruit, the fruit is said to be a simple fruit.
Ovary may be monocarpellary or polycarpellary and syncarpous. It may be further divided into
- dry (e.g. cotton, pea, lady's finger etc.) and
- fleshy fruits (e.g. tomato, guava, mango etc.).
Dry Fruits
In dry fruits, pericarp becomes dry and thin at maturity.
The dry fruits are further classified into dehiscent and indehiscent fruits on the basis of presence or absence of natural dehiscence or breaking of their pericarp at maturity.
Legume and capsule are dry and dehiscent fruits
Fleshy Fruits
In fleshy fruits, the pericarp is thick and fleshy and may or may not be differentiated into all the three parts i.e. outer epicarp, middle mesocarp and
inner endocarp or only epicarp (skin of the fruit) and fleshy mesocarp.
Fleshy fruits are mostly indehiscent.
Drupe (one seeded) and Berry (many seeded) are fleshy fruits.
2) Aggregate Fruits:
A fruit which develops from a polycarpellary apocarpous gynoecium of a single flower is called, an aggregate fruit or etaerio.
In such a case, the carpels are free and ovary of each carpel develops into a small, simple fruitlet.
A collection or a group of simple fruitlets makes an aggregate fruit.
An aggregate fruit is further classified into sub-types on the basis of characters of fruitlets.
In custard apple (Anona squamosa) the apices of all fruitlets become thick, hard and fuse along their margins to form a common covering around the fruit called rind.
3. Composite or Multiple Fruits:
A composite or multiple fruit develops from the entire inflorescence.
In such fruits, along with the ovaries and other floral parts, the peduncle also takes part in the formation of the fruit.
On the basis of the type of inflorescence, composite fruits are classified into two main types
- Sorosis (pineapple)
- Syconus (fig)
