🍪 Classification

Types of fruits

Fruit Morphology

• A fruit consists of pericarp and seeds. Seeds are fertilized and ripened ovules.
• The pericarp develops from the ovary wall and may be dry or fleshy.
• When fleshy, the pericarp is differentiated into outer epicarp, middle mesocarp and inner endocarp.

• So, most of the flowers are developed in the following way:

👉🏻 On the basis of the above-mentioned features, fruits are usually classified into 3 main groups:

Simple fruits

• When a single fruit develops from a single ovary of a single flower, it is called a simple fruit.
• Examples: Banana, ⭐️ Grapes, Papaya, Avacado etc.
• Simple fruits are of two types:
  • Dry Fruits
  • Succulent fruits (fleshy fruits)

Dry fruits

• These fruits are not fleshy, and their pericarp (fruit wall) is not distinguished into three layers.
• Dry fruits classification:
  • Dehiscent fruits (capsular fruits)
    • Characteristic of these fruits is that their pericarp rupture after ripening and the seeds are disseminated.
  • Indehiscent fruits (Achenial fruits)
    • As their name indicates, pericarp of such fruits does not rupture on ripening and the seeds remain inside.
  • Schizocarpic fruits (Splitting fruits)
    • These fruits fall in between the above-mentioned two categories. Here, the fruit on ripening divides into one-seeded segments or mericarp; but the mericarps remain un-ruptured.

Succulent fruits (fleshy fruits)

• In these fruits pericarp is distinguished into pericarp, mesocarp and endocarp.
• Mesocarp is fleshy or fibrous.
• These fruits are indehiscent, and seeds are liberated after the decay of the flesh.
• Succulent fruits can be classified into Drupe, Pome and Berrie.

Drupe

• The pericarp or fruit wall is differentiated into thin epicarp (skin), fleshy mesocarp and stony endocarp.
• Hence it is also called as stone fruit, e.g. Mango, Jamun, Coffee, Coconut, Almond, Plum, Peach etc.
• In mango, mesocarp is juicy and edible.
• In coconut mesocarp is fibrous and edible part is the endosperm. The nuclear endosperm which is suspended within the water of the coconut, develops and forms the edible coconut flesh.
• In almond, epicarp and mesocarp get peeled off and only hard endocarp can be seen in marketed fruits. The edible part is cotyledons.

Pome

• It is a simple, fleshy but false fruit as it is surrounded by a fleshy thalamus which is edible while actual fruit lies within.
• E.g. Apple, Pear, Loquat etc.

Berry

• Berry is a fleshy fruit in which there is no hard part except the seeds.
• Pericarp may be differentiated into epicarp, mesocarp and endocarp.
• One or other of these layers may form pulp in which seeds are embedded which generally gets detached from the placenta.
• Examples: Banana, Papaya, Grape, Date Palm, Arecanut and Guava.
• The following are some fruits which show variations from the normal Berry:
  • Pepo: Watermelon (Cucurbits)
  • Hesperidium: Citrus fruits like oranges and lemons
  • Amphisarca: Bael
  • Balusta: Pomegranate

Aggregate fruits

• They develop from the apocarpous ovaries of a single flower. Thus, from one flower, many fruits develop.
• Example: Eteario of berries, Custard Apple, Raspberry

Multiple or Composite Fruits

• A fruit developing from a complete inflorescence is called a multiple or a composite fruit. i.e. many flowers — single fruit.
• Examples: Pineapple (Sorosis) ^AFO-2021, Fig (Synconus), Jackfruit, Mulberry etc.

Others

• Nuts: Litchi & Cashew
• Capsule: Okra and Aonla

Ediable Part of Fruits

Commonly Known as

Important families of fruit crops

Fruiting Pattern

• Lateral bearing cultivars develop fruits on side small branches after three or four years of planting and bear heavily.
  • Ex. Mango
• In comparison to lateral bearing, tip bearing plants develop fruit on tips of one year old shoots after six or more years and produces yield smaller than lateral bearing cultivars.
  • Ex. Plum, Pear, Ber, Guava etc.